Totaled (28 page)

She turned, bringing her arms around me, and looked up into my eyes. “I am happy for you. I guess I’m just afraid I’m going to lose you.”

“Why would you lose me?”

“Because you
are
ready for this. You’re one of the most talented fighters I’ve ever seen. You’re going to be amazing and you’re going to get noticed even more than you already have been. I’m afraid you’ll forget all about me. All about us.”

“Bree, I could never forget about you. I’m in love with you. I want you by my side for all of this. If nothing happens or if everything happens. I need you.”

She closed her eyes, lowered her head, and rested her forehead on my chest. “I can’t go with you to Atlanta.”

“Why not?”

“Eight days from now is June 22
^nd
. I have a mandatory proctored exam that day for my Behavioral Sciences class that day. I can’t miss it.”

“Behavioral Sciences? I thought you said it was online.”

“Integrative Studies in Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences, actually. And only the lessons are online. I have to take the exams in front of a school official. We show ID and everything.”

“Sounds exciting,” I said sarcastically. “Well, your dad will be with me. And Liam. And you can watch it live.”

“I wish I could be there. You’re going to do great.” She leaned up to kiss me, but with a sad expression in her eyes. “I’ll get Morey to buy the fight on Pay-Per-View and show it at Flip Flops. He’s a cheap ass, but I’ll make sure the whole town is there to watch you.”

“You’re amazing,” I said into her hair. “I’m so happy, Bree. Last night was one of the best nights of my life.”

“
One
of the best?” she teased as she slowly started to unwrap the towel that was tucked around my waist.

“Okay, the number one, first place, very best day of all of the days before,” I joked as she kissed my neck and chest. “But we can make today even better than yesterday if you want.”

“Don’t you want breakfast? You need to keep your weight up for your big fight.”

“I’m not hungry for breakfast,” I said as I lifted her up into my arms, making her towel fall to the floor. I assaulted her with kisses as I carried her over to the bed. “Are you sore?”

“A little,” she admitted, her cheeks pinking, “but I’m okay.”

“Thank God. I can’t wait to have you again.”

The sight of her impeccable body, naked before me, with the sunlight filtering in from my windows, highlighting every beautiful curve, was enough to make me embarrass myself before we even got started. When she reached down in between us to stroke me, I nearly lost it. I pulled away, out of her soft grip.

“Not yet, you little minx. We have to get you ready. I need you ready for me. I’m not going to be able to take it easy on you today.”

“I’m already ready. Please? I need you.”

Ignoring her pleas, I lowered my head in between her legs, wanting to taste her again. I could never get tired of this, of being here, of savoring her as she writhed beneath me. I would never be able to get enough.

Just as she was about to find her release, I stopped. I couldn’t take another second of not seeing her face, of not being inside her.

“Drew, no!” she wailed when I pulled away. “Please no. Don’t stop. I was almost…”

“I know,” I crooned in her ear. “But I want to be buried inside of you when you come. I want to feel you clench around me again.”

She moaned, grabbing my ass with both hands, and roughly pulled me towards her. I held back just enough so that my tip was just barely touching her entrance. She looked up at me, her eyes begging, biting her lip in aggravation. As fun as it was to see her so frustrated, I couldn’t wait any longer.

“I love you,” I said, and it had never felt more like the truth. I loved her more than my life.

“I love you too,” she said quickly, smacking me on the ass with an exaggerated wink. “Now get on with it.”

With that, I pushed into her heat, swiftly and smoothly this time. So wet. So perfect. I couldn’t even move. She brought her legs up and wrapped them around me, wiggling underneath my body, trying desperately to get me to move. I withdrew a few inches and pushed back in, hard, to the hilt.

“Yes. Like that. Harder,” she moaned, her hips reaching up, up to me.

“I can’t,” I warned. I was going to lose it in five seconds if she kept doing that, and shit! I never put on a condom! I took a deep breath, willing myself to calm down and pull out and find a protection. “You feel so good, Bree. I’m not going to last long. And I need to put a condom on.” I moved to pull away and her legs tightened their grip.

“Just forget it,” she urged. “I’m on the pill.”

I looked at her in shock and confusion, embarrassed that we hadn’t already had this conversation.

“My periods were weird from running so much,” she explained, clenching her inner muscles around me. “I’ve been on the pill for two years. Never missed a day.”

“Oh, thank God.” I plunged back into her. “I’m clean too.”

“I know,” she said breathlessly as I withdrew from her almost completely. “I read your lab results at the gym.”

I drove into her again, so completely turned on by the fact that she had obviously thought about this moment before and wanted it as much as I did. She gasped and lifted her hips just enough for me to be deeper inside of her.

“Stalker,” I joked, plowing in to her again.

“You like it,” she quipped, kissing and nipping at my neck.

“I can’t wait,” I admitted as I stormed into her over and over again, harder and harder with each advance.

“Yes. God, yes!” she cried out, throwing her head back in ecstasy. I could watch her do that every minute of every day and not see it enough. Damn.

My legs tensed up first. Then it felt as if every muscle in my body was contracting at once.
Hold out, man, hold out. Just a few more minutes. She’s so damn close.

“Fuck. Oh. Yes. Harder!” she demanded as sweat started to bead on my forehead. “Drew! Oh my God. Yes!” Her arms wrapped around my upper back, her fingernails clawing at my shoulder blades, her eyes clenched tightly closed. “Yes. Yes. Yeeeeeesssssss!”

I felt my balls lift up towards my body. She opened her eyes and looked at me as she came, her body responding in spasms and twitches. And as her hot, wet center contracted around me, I erupted.

We lay there breathing heavily for a few minutes, trying to come back down to Earth. She slowly stroked my back, rubbing back and forth over my skin lightly with her nails. It felt so good to be comforted. I had never really cuddled with anyone, but it was quite nice; something I could get used to. Remembering how heavy I was, I rose up to get off of her, apologizing.

“No, don’t move yet,” she whispered. “It’s nice. I don’t want you to leave.”

“I will
never
leave you. Ever. You’re stuck with me, Brianne Murphy.”

“Good. I like being stuck with you.”

When she started to kiss my neck, sweetly sucking on my earlobe, I felt myself growing hard again inside of her. She seemed to feel it to and smiled against my skin.

“Someone else likes being stuck with me too, it seems,” she taunted. “Good. I haven’t had enough yet.”

“What have I done?” I asked aloud, laughing. “I’ve created a monster.”

We made love again then and there, showered together, making love again in the shower, and managed to each eat a bowl of cereal naked in bed, before making love again. I couldn’t get enough. I was officially addicted. Addicted to love. Addicted to her. Blindly high to how unbelievably good this all felt. And this was just the beginning.

Chapter Thirty-One

BREE

“Well, well, well. I had almost forgotten what you looked like. Am I dreaming? Pinch me. Because I can’t possibly be seeing my best friend in front of me right now, beach bag in hand and sundress on, as if she wants to actually hang out with me!”

Rolling my eyes at Sue’s dramatic teasing, I shrugged my shoulders and attempted to make my very best apology face. I looked around her mother’s flower shop to see who was there, embarrassed that I hadn’t been here five minutes yet and she was already making a scene.

“All right. That’s enough. I’m sorry, okay? I’ve been a horrible friend these past few weeks, but I’m here to make amends. I even brought you treats.”

“More like world’s worst friend ever! I haven’t seen or heard from you, other than a poor excuse for a text conversation last week that
I
had to initiate. And what treats?”

“I made your favoooorite.”

“Shut up! Seriously? You baked slutty brownies?!” she screeched as she started to bounce up and down like a toddler.

“What’s a slutty brownie?” Sue’s mom asked as she rounded the corner carrying a vase of hydrangeas.

“Mom! Are you kidding me? You’ve never had a slutty brownie?” Sue asked, aghast. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“I don’t think I have. What is it?”

“It’s only the best dessert ever created. And Bree’s are the best. Even though I’m seriously pissed at her right now, I’m willing to momentarily forgive and forget, only long enough for you to sample the perfection that is a slutty brownie.”

I reached into my tote bag, bringing out the plastic tub that I had packed the brownies into earlier and handed them to Sue, making sure that she made eye contact with my apologetic facial expression and over-exaggerated pouty bottom lip. She rolled her eyes, snatching the tub from my grasp. She dug in and handed her mother one first.

Mrs. Ashwell took a moment to look at the brownie, puzzled at its appearance, and sunk her teeth in, igniting an instantaneous moan of pleasure. “Oh. My. God,” she said as she chewed with her eyes closed, her mouth still full of the chocolaty indulgence.

“I told you. Best dessert ever, right?” Sue gushed.

She swallowed her mouthful and, baring front teeth full of chocolate remains, asked me, “What was that?”

“That, Mrs. Ashwell, is a slutty brownie,” I replied, proud of my baked masterpiece.

“Yeah, I got that. What’s in it? Why is it slutty?”

“Umm…I guess it’s, uhh…” I stumbled to come up with a description.

Sue interrupted my awkward inability to answer the question. “It’s because they’re so good, but so bad for you. And they’re slutty because it’s a threesome of desserts together to make one.”

Finding my voice, I interjected, “And they’re so easy, anyone can do them. Chocolate fudge brownie mix, peanut butter cups and chocolate chip cookie dough, layered and all baked together in an orgy of yumminess.”

“I’m going to need to take a few and hide them in the back room for later. Naughty brownies are my new favorite treat!”

“They’re
slutty
Mom, not naughty!” Sue corrected.

We all laughed and had another brownie. Sue’s mood seemed to improve with each bite.

“So, are you working all day?” I asked. “Any chance we could catch up? I’d love to take you to lunch or we can go sit on the beach for a while.”

“Where’s lover boy today? Is he unavailable? Is that why you came here?” She held nothing back with her snarky tone and bitchy expression.

“That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” I commented pointedly. “I came here to apologize. I know I haven’t been paying our friendship enough attention lately and I feel bad about that.”

She stood there looking at me, pondering what to say next. Instead of the witty comeback I was expecting, she simply replied. “Fine. Let’s go over to Analise’s house.”

“I don’t want to hang out with Analise. I just want to talk to you.” I used my whiniest voice to get my point across.

“Oh, calm down already. Analise is out of town. Her mom was freaking out about boarding their ancient dog, who’s apparently halfway blind and wigs out if it thunders, so I offered to house sit and let the little fucker out a few times a day, in exchange for using their pool. So we can swim and lay out over there. I don’t want to go to the beach today and get all sandy. I just got a pedicure this morning.”

“Okay. When can you get out of here?”

“MOM! I’m leaving!” Sue called over her shoulder.

“Okay, dear. Text me later if you’re not coming home tonight!” her mom yelled from behind the back doors.

“Consider this my text. I’m not coming home tonight!”

And with that, we headed out. She gave me directions to Analise’s house and after only being there for a few minutes, we were fixing drinks, laying our towels out, and were lounging under the sun and relaxing back into exactly where we left off the last time we hung out. I was nervous to tell her all that had happened with Drew and me, but I needed to talk about it all or I was going to combust.

“So, what’s new with you?” I asked, uncomfortable with how to start the conversation.

“Oh would you just cut the shit, already? What’s new with
you
?” she asked in an outburst. “I know you have something to tell me. I can see it all over your blushing face. Come out with it!”

“Well… I uhh…”

“Bree, just say it. You can tell me anything. Are you okay?” she finally asked, turning to me and grabbing my hand. The concern in her voice warmed my heart.

“Yes. I’m fine.” I took a deep breath. “I slept with Drew,” I blurted out.

“Holy shit!”

I smiled proudly. “Yeah. I’m no longer a twenty-two-year-old virgin.”

“When? How was it? Were you safe? Did he hurt you? Are you okay? Oh my God. Where were you?” She was obviously hungry for details, not even pausing to breathe.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down. I’ll tell you the whole story, I promise. Just chill with the rapid fire questions.”

“Sorry, but this is exciting!” she cried, clapping her hands together. “My best friend
finally
did the dirty deed!”

I started spritzing my legs with sunscreen, trying to calm my mind and organize my thoughts, my heart swelling with love at remembering how amazing it had been. “It happened this past weekend,” I explained, blushing furiously. “We finally told my dad and Liam about the two of us dating.”

“Oh, yeah? How did they take it?” Sue was hyper but concerned when I mentioned that all was out in the open with my family.