His eyes twinkled with a wicked delight as he walked me backward to the mirrored wall. He kissed me deeply as he traced his wide hand down the length of my body, slowly, teasingly, until he found what he’d been looking for. He pressed firmly against me, and I broke my mouth from his in a moan, responding to his perfect touch. I loved how well he knew me. I loved how well he knew my body and what would set me off just right.
He worked his hand against me and brought his free hand up to my mouth, covering it, watching as I melted beneath him. He dipped behind the waistband of my pants, and his fingers found the most sensitive part of me. My body tingled, and my core clenched as he stroked me gently, rhythmically, until my legs began to shake and it was only him keeping me upright.
“Mmm,” he said, his voice deep and raspy. His smoldering eyes fixed firmly on mine. “Right where I want you.”
He kissed my mouth, my neck, and then went to his knees. He pulled my joggers down just enough, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. We were full of a need that would be taken then and there, and it had me spinning in a world of forbidden pleasure.
I placed one hand in his hair, the other on the wall behind me, bracing myself as I panted in anticipation. I leaned back and closed my eyes, waiting for the sweet approach of his warm tongue—only to be interrupted by the slam of the gym door, the nighttime janitor entering to make his rounds before the end of the day.
Jake’s eyes went wide as he stood abruptly and covered me with his wide body. I moved quickly to reset the parts of me that had become disheveled. He looked down with an amused grin, a playfulness across his face, and I pulled my lips in, biting my smile to muffle my giggles. My head fell into his chest, and our bodies quaked in silent laughter.
We walked back to our apartment, hand in hand, not embarrassed or ashamed, but full of a mischievous desire that led to an incredible three rounds of steamy, sweaty sex, followed by an intimate shower where we washed and held each other like lovers do.
It was beautiful and sensual, and all the things real love should feel like.
And I didn’t think of E.
Not even once.
That was, until the next morning when Jake woke up and threw on a very specific black hoodie paired withsweatpants I’d seen a million times. My eyes nearly bulged out of my head, and he noticed.
“What’s wrong? Does it not look good?” He looked at his outfit questioningly, as if he couldn’t make a garbage bag look like a Versace suit.
“Where did you get that?”
“What, the pants?” He held them out at his sides between his forefinger and thumb. “I don’t know. Foot Locker, maybe?”
“No,” I tried to remain calm. “The hoodie.”E’s hoodie.
“Oh. I don’t know. I think it’s old. It was in the dryer one day. Must’ve missed it when I took the laundry out. Does it look shitty?”
I blinked, trying to wipe my sight, my brain clean.
“No, no…” I forced a smile. “I just… haven’t seen it in a while.”
At least it wasn’t a lie.
He grinned at me before walking back to the bed and giving me a sweet kiss.
“I love you. I’m gonna go for a run. See you in an hour.” I nodded as he walked out of the room. “I’ll grab pastries on my way back from the shop over on South Lamar!” he called from the door.
And then he was gone.
I was left alone in my thoughts.
And for the first time in months, all of them were of E.
A week later, I got a call from my near-famous sister, Kat, begging me to come home the weekend she would be there.
“Come on,” she whined. “We haven’t been home together in what, three years? Meet me at Mom’s!”
“Ugh, I really don’t want to,” for more reasons than I cared to admit.
“Yeah, I know. I don’t want to either, but I miss Ren, and I can’t handle Mom without you again, so you have to come. And we’ll celebrate your birthday a few days early. It’ll be fun!”
I gnawed at my lip as I debated it mentally. My birthday was two weeks away and I couldn’t have cared less about it. I didn’t want to go back to Jersey because I didn’t want to risk seeing E. I didn’t want to jeopardize what Jake and I had built, and given how weak I was last time with E—how far things almost went—it was a rational fear to have. Especially since I was happy now—Jake and I were in a good place, and I was finally beginning to like myself again. Kat didn’t know the weight of her request, and I would never admit it to anyone, so she couldn’t possibly understand my hesitation.
“I’d love to, Kat, but I really can’t. I have so much going on, it’s just…not a good time.”
