“Mmm no, baby,” I tease. I’ve been going down on her for almost an hour, my face is coated in her cum, and I can’t continue to edge her anymore. I need to feel her clench and writhe with pleasure. Pleasure I’ve given her. Narrowing my tongue, I swipe down before plunging deep inside her cunt, stroking her walls just inside. She grabs my head, fingers tugging my hair as she comes with a scream.
A moment later, I release my grip on her legs and she falls back on the bed.
“My entire body is made of jelly,” she mumbles weakly. Laughing, I sit back on my heels and stare down at her. “I made a mess out of you.”
Licking my lips, I nod. “You sure did, Pea. Goddamn, you are delicious.” Lifting my shirt, I wipe off my nose and cheeks, cleaning off the places I couldn’t reach with my tongue.
Like a minx, she stares at me, splayed out on the pillows, her blonde hair looking a bit worse for the wear after the thrashing she gave it. Pen bites her lip and crooks her finger, beckoning me to her. “Come here, baby.”
I feel the pull to her, but it’s like I have a mental block. I can’t. Not yet.God, look at how beautiful she is, ready and waiting to take you. You’re a lucky fucking bastard and you’re fucking this up.
Swallowing hard, I smirk but shake my head. “Nah, Pea. Tonight was about you.” Lowering myself to the bed beside her, I wrap her in my arms. She’s tense, and I know she’s upset.
“Okay,” she mumbles against my chest. The disappointment in her voice makes me want to scream. All the anger and self-loathing rises to the surface and before I can explode, she whispers, “Whenever you’re ready. I’ll wait for you.”
She’s asleep and snoring softly in minutes, and I’m thankful she can’t feel the tears dripping onto her hair from my cheeks.
SEVENTEEN
september
PENELOPE
“Chloe,I really don’t have time for this.” Once again, my friend is trying to get me back to the gym.
“Pen, you haven’t had time for anything the last few weeks. You have to start prioritizing yourself!”
Snorting, I reply, “I don’t see going to the gym as high on my priority list.”
Chloe groans. “Is Dominic still… you know?”
“What is that supposed to mean?” I feel a flash of annoyance at her words. “He lost someone incredibly close to him. There’s no timeline for grief.”
“I know, I know. I’m just worried about the two of you. Have you been… intimate yet?” Her concerned look has me turning my attention to the rest of the bar.
“No.” Chloe opens her mouth but I hold up a hand to stop her. “And I don’t want any advice on it, please.” She makes a face but takes a sip of her drink instead.
The truth is, I’m worried about what’s happening with Dominic and me. At first I thought the distance was normal, especially following Gloria’s death. But as the weeks go by, hismood has stabilized. The bouts of anger he experienced right after our loss got better. We’re talking more, albeit always at the store or about the store.
But we haven’t had sex. The only time we came close to being intimate was on my birthday. And while I’m grateful for the hour of pleasure he gave me, I’m still bitter he didn’t let me return the favor. The longer we go without sex, the more it starts to feel like a slow rejection from him. And I’m clearly not mature enough to come right out and ask him what’s going on. Talk about the situation? No way. Make myself sick with anxiety while plotting out the worst possible conclusions? That’s far more my style.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be a damper on happy hour.” Turning to Chloe, I focus my full attention on her and change the subject. “Tell me about your upcoming trip.”
Her eyes brighten as she tells me about the all-inclusive in Punta Cana that her new job is sending her to– new job at a travel agency, that is. “I’m not saying the goal is to find a hot, single guy to hook up with…” she laughs, “but if the opportunity presents itself, I won’t say no!”
“Isn’t it technically a work trip? Is that professional?” I can’t help but tease.
“Like you can talk, Ms. Screwing-her-boss!” We laugh, even though the name stings. More like “Ms. Wishes-she-was-still-screwing-her-boss”.
I get home around nine pm and I’m unsurprised to see my lights on, Dom’s car in the driveway. He’s been spending most nights at my place. It’s hard for him to stay at Gloria’s, even though her friends and I cleaned out most of her things weeks ago. Maybe it’s the emptiness that creeps him out. Or maybe it’s too full of memories.
Most nights, Dom ends up dozing off on my couch. He claims he can't get to sleep and spends the late hours reading or scrolling through his phone. He says he doesn't want todisturb me, which is why he doesn't sleep in bed with me. On the few times he does join me in bed, it's purely platonic, which somehow stings more than when he’s not there.
When I step through the front door, Carl slides slowly off the couch to greet me, tail wagging a bit slower with his old age. I hear Dom talking in the kitchen, it sounds like he’s on the phone. Crouching down, I give Carl scritches and coo about how much I missed him today.
My phone buzzes with a text and I let myself drop entirely to the floor so I can pull out my phone. Carl takes full advantage of this, plopping his big butt in my lap and giving me endless kisses on my chin.
Chloe: just drove by Dom’s
