When he finally released her, she stared at him, dazed. “Uh … you’re certainly in a weird mood tonight.”
He laughed. “Yeah. I told you, I need to keep you on your toes.” He eased her off his lap onto the couch beside him, then took a sip of his beer. “I think you want to go out with me because you know I’ll show you some thrills in the sack.”
She grinned. “Well, that’s not such a bad thing, is it?”
A broad smile claimed his face. “No. It’s the best. Now, I think we should order Chinese for dinner.”
“Sure. I’ll go get the take-out menu for the place in the strip mall down the street.”
She returned a moment later and they selected several dishes, then Zeke called in the order.
“You didn’t ask them to deliver,” Marie said once he’d hung up.
Zeke stood up. “No, I’m going to go pick it up.”
“You’re not going now, are you? It’ll be a while before it’s ready and the place is just a block away.”
He smiled. “That’s okay, I’ll take the long way. I’m in the mood for a walk.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck before he could pull away. “You really are in a weird mood today.” She kissed him, spearing her delicious tongue between his lips, sending his cock pulsing with need.
Her sweet seductive manner almost made him forget his intent, but he drew back and unwrapped her hands from his neck, kissing them briefly before releasing them.
“Down, sweet thing. I’ll be back before you know it.”
* * *
Zeke walked toward Ty’s door and knocked. A moment later, the door opened and Ty glared at him with chocolate brown eyes.
In fact, both eyes were brown, which meant he was wearing colored contact lenses to hide the fact that one eye was actually soft green with gold specks. Zeke shouldn’t be surprised. Although the women had always found Ty’s odd eyes sexy as sin, Ty had always felt it made him … flawed. In the old days, he’d embraced his so-called flaws … odd eyes, anger, dominant nature … but Zeke had a feeling the new Ty had decided to clean up his act and eliminate the flaws he could … and hide the rest.
Too bad he was so totally misguided.
“What the hell do you want?” Ty said.
Five
Zeke stared hard at his friend. Ex-friend actually. But by Ty’s choice, not his. “To talk to you.”
“Forget it.”
Ty pushed the door to close it, but Zeke flattened his hand against it.
“I need to talk to you about Marie,” Zeke said.
The ice from Ty’s gaze chilled Zeke to the bone, but Ty finally stepped back, allowing Zeke to enter.
He glanced around at Ty’s apartment. Brown leather and dark oak furniture suited Ty. The colorful artwork was unexpected. A nice touch. And the place was exceptionally tidy. Same old Ty, in that respect, at least.
“Nice place.”
“What do you want, Zeke?”
Zeke faced Ty, who stared at him with a glower, his arms crossed.
“After that incident in the hall, it’s pretty clear you don’t want me seeing Marie.”
Ty just continued to glare.
Damn, after five years, clearly his anger was still fresh.
“Were you two involved?” Zeke asked.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but … no.”
Ty’s words echoed through Zeke’s mind.
You God damned son of a bitch, you’d better not be here to—
See Marie.
Clearly, that was how Ty had intended to end that sentence.
Zeke gazed at him thoughtfully, then nodded to himself. “But you want to be.”
Ty clenched his jaw. “As I said, it’s none of your God damned business.”
Zeke drew in a deep breath, undeterred. “Do you want me to step aside?”
Ty stared at him, his glare turning to an assessing scowl.
“You think that’ll make up for what happened with Ashley?”
Zeke sighed. “I told you, I never tried to steal your girlfriend.”
“So you’ve said.”
Zeke’s chest clenched. And that’s what had hurt the most. That despite the close bond that had always existed between Ty and Zeke, and even though the woman had shamelessly thrown herself at Zeke, Ty hadn’t even listened to Zeke’s side. Ty had simply assumed the worst.
“So do you want me to step aside or not?” Zeke hated being in this fucking position. He didn’t want to let Marie go, but he respected Ty’s feelings and the close bond they’d once shared.
A bond he wished they
still
shared. Their close friendship had turned sour overnight after that threesome with Ashley … which
she
had suggested. And it seemed pretty clear to Zeke, she’d done it specifically to get an in with Zeke. She’d been ready to dump Ty, but she’d wanted a new boyfriend lined up first.
Zeke wondered if this was finally his chance to set things right between them. He and Ty shared too much to just let their friendship die. Too much history. Too much pain.
“What about Marie?” Ty asked. “Don’t you care how she feels about it?”
“Of course I care. But we haven’t been going out very long. She’ll get over it.”
* * *
Ty’s fists clenched at his sides. “Don’t do me any fucking favors.”
He couldn’t stand how callously the guy was willing to treat Marie. As much as he didn’t want Zeke anywhere near Marie, he didn’t want to see Marie hurt.
He also didn’t want Zeke thinking he could even begin to make up for the pain he’d caused.
Zeke shrugged. “Whatever.”
God damn it, had he created a monster when he’d pushed Zeke to try the role of sexual Dominant so many years ago? Ty had naturally leaned to that role and found it very liberating. He’d thought that it would help give Zeke, who’d had so little control over his life, a sense of power. Ty never would have suggested it if he hadn’t believed Zeke respected his women, and that he’d understand the responsibilities of the role; specifically, to give his partner pleasure. In return, he got the sense of power that would help him get past his feelings of helplessness.
But now, it seemed Zeke might have gone astray.
He tugged a card out of his inside pocket and tossed it on Ty’s coffee table. “If you change your mind, call me.”
Ty’s jaw clenched tightly and he picked up the card and crumpled it.
“Not going to happen.”
Zeke’s olive eyes turned cold and he strode out of the apartment.
* * *
Zeke opened the hard saddlebag on the back of his Harley, grabbed his helmet and snapped it on, then climbed on the big bike. The engine roared to life and he zoomed out of the parking lot, then dodged around the traffic and headed for the highway, needing to feel speed.
Damn it. The thought of letting Marie go burned through his gut. The woman had definitely insinuated herself into his deepest desires. But not quite as deep as his desire to mend things with Ty.
Ty had done so much for Zeke. He’d kept him motivated to stay in school, allowing Zeke to make something of himself. Now he owned his own business, doing something he loved. Restoring vintage cars. But more, Ty had kept Zeke on the straight and narrow. Stopped him from winding up in jail. Or worse, dead.
The bond he had with Ty was too important to let anything stand in the way. Even Marie.
He took the ramp onto the highway, then accelerated, roaring past the other traffic.
Twenty minutes later, he parked his bike in the parking lot outside Marie’s building and carried the bag of Chinese food, and an extra little surprise he’d picked up for tonight, to the main door. Once in the lobby, he pressed the call button for Marie’s apartment.
“Hello?” Marie asked over the speaker.
“Hi, babe. It’s Zeke. Sorry to take so long.”
A loud buzzing sounded, indicating she’d released the door lock. Three minutes later, he got off the elevator on her floor. When he got to her door and knocked, he was extremely conscious of the fact that Ty was only yards away, in his apartment down the hall from Marie’s, but he tried to overwhelm that with thoughts of Marie. He might be letting her go, but he still had tonight to make some memories he’d never forget … for him and for her.
The door opened and Marie smiled at him.
“I thought you’d run out on me.”
At the sight of her wide, sky blue eyes gazing up at him, the silky waves of dark brown hair brushing her shoulders, her full heart-shaped lips, he wanted to say
never.
But he couldn’t do that. Because this would be the last time he saw her. The last time he would touch her. Suddenly, his heart ached with a desperate desire to pull her into his arms and keep her there forever.
It had been so long since he’d felt this kind of connection to a woman that he’d started to wonder if he was just a loner … meant to live out his days on his own, without a partner. And then Marie had come along and made him realize how wonderful life could be with the right person. How could he even consider letting her go?
As she stepped aside and let him in, then closed the door, he realized this was insane. He’d only known her for a week. It’s not like he’d fallen in love with her.
Though as she took the paper bag with the food from his hands, her fingers brushing his, shooting a jolt of pure awareness through him, he wondered if he was wrong about that. If two people were right for each other, why wouldn’t they know it right away? Maybe it was only caution that made people wait to decide they were actually in love.
His jaw clenched. Not that love was an option for him and Marie. Because he’d told Ty he’d give her up. And he didn’t go back on his word.
“What’s that?” Marie asked, gazing at the black plastic bag he still held.
He grinned at the reminder of the special treat he had picked up.
“I’ll tell you after dinner.”
“Oh, a surprise?” She smiled and the delight shining in her eyes sent cascades of warmth washing through him. She walked to the rectangular dining room table and put down the bag of food. “I’ll go get some plates.”
He tucked the black bag in her entrance closet, then followed her into the kitchen. As she closed the cabinet door, he stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close to his body. He nuzzled her neck as his hand cupped her soft breast and squeezed. She turned around in his arms and tilted her chin up. He captured her lovely, full lips and kissed her, loving the feel of her soft mouth under his. The tip of her tongue pressed shyly against his lips and he opened, suffered the delightful torture of her delicate strokes inside his mouth, then tightened his grip on her delectable curvy body and drove his tongue deep into her soft depths, devouring her sweetness.
Finally, he released her. She gasped for breath, her eyes wide.
He grinned. “I’m not sure we have time for this. I’m taking you to a movie at eight and it’s…”—he glanced at his watch—“seven now.”
“A movie?” She seemed disappointed. “I thought we’d stay in tonight and—”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her in for another kiss. “You are going to a movie. Understand?”
At his authoritative tone, she nodded. Oh God, his pulse quickened as she fell right into the submissive role.
“I asked if you understand.”
“Yes … Master.”
His cock throbbed at the word
Master
on her delicate lips. He kissed her. Hard and thoroughly.
After they finished eating, he helped her clear the table and carry the dishes and empty food containers into the kitchen.
“I guess we should get ready for the movie now,” she said. “I think I’ll change into my jeans.”
“I have a better idea.” He took her hand and led her into the living room, then smiled. “Take off your underpants.”
Her eyes widened a little, then a grin curled up her lips. She reached under her skirt and fidgeted, then wiggled as she eased the small black garment down her thighs and dropped it to the floor. He held out his hand and she picked the panties up and handed them to him. He closed his fingers around them, feeling the heat of her and … oh God, the slight dampness. His cock twitched.
“Now I want you to sit in the chair.”
She sat in the chair, which formed a ninety-degree angle with the couch.
“Great. Now, draw your skirt up a little and press your knees against the armrests of the chair.”
She tugged her short skirt a little higher and pressed her knees against the armrests as he’d instructed, which essentially opened her legs and gave him a spectacular view of her delightful pussy. She had trimmed the hair to a neat little heart shape.
He nodded and smiled his approval as he sat on the couch and picked up the remote. He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, occasionally casting his gaze from the screen to her exposed pussy. Each time he looked at her, he couldn’t help but imagine his tongue gliding along her slick passage. As he stared at her, she began to squirm and he was sure he could see glistening moisture from her exposed slit.