“READY, BOYS?” JOSIE asks the men when the men return to their stools at the bar, looking like they’re headed for war. They are so ridiculous.
Both of them answer at the same time. “No.” It takes all of my strength not to laugh at how green in the face they both are. What the hell do they think’s gonna happen?
“So, I asked the ladies here what their favorite thing was about each of you,” Josie says, pulling her clipboard out from beneath the counter. “Cooper, you can go first.”
“Shit,” Coop groans, knowing full well how competitive Spencer is. “Did she go funny or serious with the answers?”
Josie wags her finger at him. “Can’t tell you that. Just answer the way you think your wife would have answered.”
He worries his lip, giving the question a lot of thought. Really, the answer is so damn obvious. “Ummm. I think Spencer’s favorite thing about me is…my…hair?” Or, not…
“Your hair, Cooper? Really?” Spencer gives him the cold shoulder and a look of disgust.
“BAMP!” Josie shouts. “Wrong answer. Spencer said her favorite thing about Coop was what an amazing father he is to their five children.”
“Awwww,” Josie and I chime together as Spencer glares at her husband out of the corner of her eye.
“Jeffrey, I asked Gina here the same question.”
“That’s easy,” he says grinning ear to ear. “My cock.” He blurts out that answer without reservation. Have I mentioned how much better I like his stuffy ass drunk?
“Ding! Ding! Ding!” Josie chimes. “One point for team Fuck Buddies.”
Jeff and I slap each other double high-fives.
“Get your shit together, Cooper Hebert,” my drunk best friend warns her husband.
Josie pops the caps off two beer bottles and sets them on the bar in front of the men before continuing. “Question number two. I asked the girls if they thought you’d rather go swimming with ducks or turtles.”
Cooper smiles big, ready to redeem himself. There’s no way he’ll miss it. Sea turtles are Spencer’s favorite. “Turtles.”
“Yes!” Spencer shouts, wrapping her arms around her husband’s neck. “You’re amazing. I love you so much.”
And…now her tongue is down his throat. Bipolar much?
“Beaver Basher?” Josie chuckles, looking to Jeffrey. “Same question.” He may just club me to death with that big dick by the time this night is over if Josie doesn’t cut it out.
I suck in my lips, trying my best to hide a smile. He’s going to fucking hate me when he hears my answer.
His head drops into his hand, shaking side to side as he tugs his blond locks. “Dolphins.” Jeff looks over and glares my way. “There’s no way she gave any answer other than dolphins.”
Josie’s mouth falls open in shock. She was so sure he wouldn’t get it since my answer wasn’t even a choice. But I was willing to get it wrong just to see the look on his face.
“Such bullshit,” my moody best friend growls, slamming her fist down on the bar.
“That’s one point each for teams Wedded Bliss and Fuck Buddies. Fuck Buddies are up by one. The final question asked was, what do they think is your greatest fear?” She looks to Cooper for his answer.
“Losing you again,” Coop says, to his wife, without needing a single second to think it over. Spence nods, her eyes welling with tears, and smashes her lips against his.
“Alrighty then.” Josie looks pointedly at the married couple eating each others’ faces then back to us. “Jeff?”
He sets his beer down on the cocktail napkin in front of him and gets this vacant look in his shimmering blue eyes. “Not being the father my wife would have wanted for my girls.” His voice cracks, and he clears his throat. His Adam’s apple bobs with a hard swallow.
Josie, Spencer, and my eyes all fill with tears at the sight of this broken man. It suddenly feels like I’m drowning in a pool of water, the thickness of the moment suffocating me.
“She answered, ‘disappointing your children.’ ” Josie’s voice is heavy with emotion. “She didn’t mention your wife. I’m sorry.” Her apology is obviously for more than just missing a question in this stupid game. “I’m going to have to mark that as a no and call a draw…Be right back.” Josie rushes off to the little office behind the bar dabbing at her tears with a napkin.
After composing herself, our favorite bartender returns with shots of Fireball on the house. “For being such good sports.” She sets two in front of each of us, and we toss them back immediately, but in no way does it feel like a celebration.
“Thanks, Josie.”
“Dance with me.” I grab hold of Jeffrey’s hand and gently pull. He’s been a little off since that last question. Hell, we all have. I’m desperate to feel close to him again. I’m trying to be understanding and not to let it get to me when he brings Jessica up. I know he’s hurting, and I hate that I sometimes feel jealousy over a woman who did nothing wrong. It’s just hard when I constantly feel like I’m competing with her ghost. But, competing for what, exactly? Jeff and I are friends. Just friends. And I want him to feel comfortable talking to me, even if it’s about her. No matter how much this hurts, it can’t even compare with the pain he must feel in his heart.
“Sure, yeah.” His smile feels strained, and it makes my heart lurch. There’s a heaviness hanging in the air between us. I hate it.
When we reach the dance floor, I slide my hands up his chest slowly, lacing my fingers behind his neck. His heart is like a jackhammer pounding against his chest, hard and fast. The beginning chords to Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran drift from the speakers. Of all songs…why this one? In the very first line he asks the girl to give him “love like her.” And it hits so close to home that I find myself trembling in Jeffrey’s arms. My throat swells, feeling tight, and my lips begin to quiver. Stop it, Gina. Stop it, now. But I can’t stop the tears from building in my eyes. From rolling down my cheeks.
He pulls me tighter, dropping his lips to my neck and feathering light kisses along the sensitive skin, setting my blood on fire. Our bodies move so perfectly in tune to the music. To each other. “I’m sorry, Tink,” he whispers against my ear.
“I’m fine,” I lie, burying my face into his shoulder.
“I’m hurting you.”
Shaking my head, I pull back so that he can see my face, so he believes that I mean what I’m about to say. “You didn’t.” My head shakes. “You didn’t hurt me, Jeffrey. I had a little too much to drink, and I’m feeling overly emotional. I’m sad for you. Not because of you.”
He stares into my eyes, searching for the truth, and I don’t know whether or not he can see through the lie I want to believe so badly, but his hand grips my chin and his mouth molds to mine. His kiss is slow and sure and feels more intimate than any other we’ve shared. He’s making love to my mouth, apologizing to me in the language in which we communicate best. My knees grow weak, and my heart begins to race. I’m not even sure how many songs we spend out on that dance floor, healing our broken hearts, but at some point Spencer is there tapping me on the shoulder.
“Hey, babe. Sorry to interrupt. Coop and I are gonna head home, and I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.” She sighs deeply. “I’m exhausted.”
Pulling my lips from Jeff’s, I swipe the back of my hand over my mouth. “Gosh, I’m sorry Spence. I’m ignoring you.”
“Girl. Shut up. Do not even go there. We see each other all the time.” Her attention diverts to my date. “I had a great time, and it was so nice to meet you, Jeffrey.”
The flush of embarrassment at being interrupted that erupts on Jeff’s cheeks is the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. “Thanks, Spencer. It was really nice meeting you both as well.”
“You ready to head home—uh, I mean, back to my place?” I ask once Spence and Coop are gone.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
The two-minute drive to my apartment is made in complete silence until he pulls into the spot beside my Audi, and I move to open the door.
“Don’t.” He gives me what I presume are his daddy eyes, dark and ominous.
My hand jerks back from the handle, an automatic response to his authoritative tone. Normally, I’d tell a guy to fuck right off for ordering me around, but when Jeff does it, butterflies flutter in my tummy.
I watch as he exits the vehicle and walks around to my side. The door opens, but instead of offering me his hand like I’m expecting, he slips one arm through my bent knees and scoops me up, cradling my body against his hard chest, causing me to yelp in surprise.
“I’ve been waiting all night for this, Tink,” Jeffrey rasps, staring deep into my eyes, bringing my vaginal heartbeat back with a vengeance. Then his lips seize mine as he starts for the apartment, kicking the truck door shut with his foot. Little moans and grunts escape from the back of his throat and send a jolt right between my legs. I fucking love the noises he makes.
When we reach the door, he finally sets me to my feet, strumming his fingers on the frame with impatience as I fish through my purse for the keys and unlock the apartment.
“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” My voice shakes with need as I set my purse and keys down on the little console table at the entrance.
“No.” He untucks his black button down from his jeans and slips out of his shoes. “I just need you, Tink.” That broken look from earlier is back. I want to be his relief. I don’t care if he’s just using me. I will martyr myself if it eases even an ounce of the heartache reflected in those baby blues.
“You have me, Jeff,” I breathe against his lips, and his tongue darts out, licking the seam of my mouth. “Take me.”
His hands grip the backs of my thighs, just below the hem of my dress, and he lifts me off the floor. I wrap my legs around his waist and my hands grip two fistfuls of his hair, as he starts for the bedroom, his lips never abandoning mine.
When he sets me down on the edge of the bed, I attack his belt and button, pulling out his already hard cock and bringing it to my lips. I’m so consumed with the need to make him feel good that my own relief is no longer at the forefront of my priorities.
“No, Tink.” Jeff steps back, and his dick juts straight out, beckoning me.
Sigh. Not this again. “I swear I’m good at it. It was just the boat, I was si—”
Jeffrey reaches down, cupping my chin in his hand. His thumb rolls over my bottom lip. “Come here,” he says, guiding me to standing. When I start to speak, he shakes his head, resting a finger against my lips to silence me. Biting back a smirk, he takes me by complete surprise. “Tonight is all about you, my lady. I’m going to worship this body,” he says, as his hungry eyes drink me in like a fine wine, “the way a real man should.”
Liquid desire swirls in my belly at the promise in his words. Suddenly I’m feeling like an inexperienced girl, despite the dozens of sexual partners I’ve had. Molten fire shoots through my veins when he brings his lips to my collarbone, kissing and flitting his expert tongue along the bend of my neck while reaching around and lowering the zipper on my dress.
Jeff hisses his appreciation as the black fabric slips down my body, pooling at my feet. One of his hands sneaks around to my back, flicking the clasp of my strapless bra, leaving me standing in nothing but a pair of red heels and black lace panties.
Sucking in a breath, he shakes his head as if in disbelief. “So beautiful.” His hand grips my chin, and he pulls my lips to his, sliding his mouth over mine and stealing my breath away.
The backs of his knuckles brush over my nipples, damn near causing me to come unglued. “Jeffrey, please,” I beg.
“Get in the bed,” he orders while removing the rest of his clothes. He climbs in over me, resting his forearms on either side of my head, his hard body pressed to mine. For a long moment he doesn’t breathe a word, just stares down at me.
“Kiss me, Jeffrey,” I finally whisper when I can’t take it anymore. Every fiber of my being is bursting for release while we lay here still as statues. My hands reach up to brush the hair from his forehead and trace the line of his jaw. “Kiss me before I go crazy.”
Leisurely his mouth lowers to join mine. A soft press of his lips. A light flick of his tongue. Torturously slow, he tastes every inch of my body, working his way down my neck and trailing his velvety tongue down my breastbone. He nips and sucks at my stiff nipples, all the while holding my hands by my sides. When he reaches my inner thighs, my back arches from the bed. Then his tongue trails along my slit, swirling around my clit, and I swear I can see the fucking stars. He brings me to the brink, backing off just when I’m about to explode.
“J—Jeffrey, please. I need you. N—now!” Within seconds he’s hovering over me, pushing inside of me, making love to my mouth while he rocks in and out as if we have all the time in the world. As if he’s savoring every sacred moment.
Finally, he releases his hold on my hands and I reach between us, massaging my clit and pulling his hair. Jeff’s thrusts become harder and faster, matching the rhythm of my frantic movements. It isn’t long before my tsunami of desire crests, and his body tenses with mine and we both cry out, finding our release together.
