Page 19
Chapter 19
An Attention-Starved Puppy
Wade
On a scale of one to ten, how pathetic is it to miss your fake girlfriend after two days?
Okay, you know what? I don’t fucking care. It’s ridiculous, yes. But it can’t be as ridiculous as I look right now.
I revisit the hot-as-fuck mirror selfie Gabe sent, the black cropped top so tight her nipples poke through and aubergine color lining her upper lip, tempting me to ruin it later tonight. The black gloves on her hands and utility belt hanging from her slender hips give me a very specific, filthy idea. My dick stirs.
Shh, shh . Not now.
“ So not the drama,” I read her caption aloud. “Oh, sweetheart. There’s about to be.”
With a swipe, I get rid of the notification for Fletch’s sneezing seal video and open up my Messages app.
Me
I am displeased
Freckles
What now?
Me
This is not what I meant when I said you could get creative with my costume
Freckles
You wanted something sluttier?
Me
Yes, actually
Me
Buck teeth, a blond wig, and turtlenecks are the opposite of slutty!!
Freckles
Some may think turtlenecks are very slutty.
Me
Wait
Me
Do you think they’re slutty??
Freckles
No comment.
Me
I’ll take that as a yes
Sometimes I like to pretend Gabe enjoys this shit. And if she didn’t say the exact opposite, I’d even claim she liked me.
I tug the knit fabric around my neck over my face and breathe in, taking in the trace of her flowery smell before shoving my hands into the pair of khaki cargo pants she ordered.
Beyond pathetic.
My knee knocks against a firm object inside one of the large pockets below. The fifteen-minute walk to the Davé-Radek’s is spent giggling to myself while thinking about the look on her face when I show her the toy.
Landon and Indi insisted on hosting the team’s annual Halloween party this year, and I’m positive it’ll be a far cry from the usual ragers. It’s probably for the best since more of us are coupled up and less likely for a night of debauchery.
Us?
They .
They have relationships. Marriages.
Gabe and I? God, I don’t know anymore. It’s somewhere between real and fake, and I can’t make up my mind on whether I want her to end my suffering and let me go or keep me forever.
How did I turn into such a needy asshole?
A question for another time because the river comes into view and Scott Street approaches.
I loiter in the lobby after entering.
Me
ETA??
Freckles
Already here.
Freckles
Got in early to help Indi with food.
Me
Like the blind leading the blind
Freckles
*middle finger emojis*
Me
Have no fear, cooking daddy is here
Freckles
Never say that again.
Me
Cooking daddy
Freckles
Fuck around and find out.
Me
Cooking
Freckles
Don’t.
Me
Daddy
Freckles
*facepalm emoji*
Maniacal laughter echoes alongside thunder and ominous strobe lighting as I exit the elevator on the top floor. Classic spiderwebs stretch from floor to ceiling in the hallway, the walls dripping blood-red and decorated with ornate gold crown molding, like an old, haunted movie theater.
“Nice touch,” I say to no one, brushing a cottony web from my face.
Pushing open the door reveals more of the same theme. A concession stand replaces their kitchen, and catering staff dressed as zombies offer a variety of drinks, cartoonish sweets, and flavored popcorn.
Fine. They did a good job.
A red-headed Landon in gladiator garb and painted-on eyebrows twirls a strand of Indi’s brown ponytail and fiddles with the pleats of her purple Grecian gown. They share a look of adoration as she smiles over a few cheesy kernels.
I tap Landon’s bicep with the back of my hand. “Earth to Hercules.” He straightens and offers a hand to dap, then pretends to punch me in my fake, oversized front teeth. “Place looks great, Indi.”
She flings her arms up and wraps my neck for a hug. “ Aw , thanks, Wade.” Her knuckle digs into my dimple as she pinches my cheek. “You look adorable.”
Someone got laid.
I’m mad it wasn’t me. But the night is young.
My eyes search for Gabe across the sea of cartoon couples. There’s Homer and Marge Simpson, Woody and Bo Peep, and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible. Olsen and Szecze and their dates make up a scantily clad Scooby Doo crew.
Why am I wearing the most clothes out of all these fools?
My hand wipes sweat from the back of my neck. “Where’s my girl?”
“ Ugh ,” Indi intones. “You two are gonna look so cute together. But, um , I did a bad thing.”
“A bad thi?—?”
Before I can finish, Gabe parkours from behind a couch and pounces me. Her arms cinch over my shoulders, legs wrapping around my hips until the jagged treads of her combat boots dig into my back.
“Hi,” she coos.
The citrus on her breath stings my eyes.
“ Uh , hi.” I’m thrown off by her unusual affection.
“I missed you,” she adds, nuzzling close with an onslaught of bunny kisses. Her freckles nearly disappear under a pink flush, full lips pulling into a dazed smile.
Not sure what possessed her to say that, but I’ll take it.
My grip on her bare midriff tightens, absorbing all her warmth. The ends of her reddened hair tangle with my fingertips. “I missed you, too.”
This is what I mean. We’re teetering in this blurred twilight zone. Too real to be fake, but too fake to be real.
Both Davé-Radeks muffle squeals. Landon titters. Indi lightly slaps his bare arm with a shush.
I raise an eyebrow. “Is this the bad thing?”
Because I don’t mind it one bit.
Indi cringes with a hiss. “She seemed really uptight when she got here. I may or may not have encouraged her to have half a gummy.”
“She had an edible?”
Gabe gets to her feet and claps both her hands to my pecs. “It was” —her eyes cross for emphasis— “ yum ! You should try one!”
A nervous chuckle follows. “ Heh , yeah.” Disapproving looks are sent to both culprits, received with innocent smiles and shrugs.
Troublemakers.
I clasp her hands in mine. “Maybe later, sweetheart.”
“Your freckles got smudged,” Gabe says through a dramatic pout. She pulls a black tube from a leather satchel hooked on her belt and uncaps it. “Don’t move.”
My hands settle at the base of her spine, letting her chest press into mine, savoring this rare moment. She squints, concentrating on spotting each cheek with a dark liquid. “There.”
Olsen boos from a cocktail table. “ Get a room! ”
I flip him off.
“Here, Lover Boy.” Landon passes me a dark red Jell-O shot. “You can take one of these with me.”
“What about you, Indi?”
“Yuck, no . It’s Fireball.”
Landy and I toss it back together, but it’s Jell-O, so it’s more like a slow, slimy descent that we have to slurp. The cinnamon burns all the way down, matching the heat in my belly to where Gabe tucks into my side.
I suck in a sharp breath afterward.
“What a wimp.” Skylar strolls up in a frilly, yellow Victorian-style dress. Jaeg stands behind her, but their size difference doesn’t hide the muscles bulging in every direction from his tiny loincloth. She takes a Jell-O shot without a sound.
“Are you seeing this, Freckles?” I complain, motioning with my hand. The whisky kicks in, loosening all the taut wrinkles in my brain. “I coulda worn that! Look how slutty Jaeg looks.”
Gabe hums and kisses my jaw, waking goosebumps and hardening my nipples. She lowers her voice to a whisper.
“Maybe I don’t want anyone else to see you like that.” Her tongue flicks my ear lobe. “Maybe I’d get jealous.”
My dick is more confused than I am. This woman has me so fucked up.
Speaking of jealousy, Fletch winces over a beer. “When I die alone, bury me with my books.”
Gabe swivels to him. “What’d you say?”
Fletcher turns the color of a bright, ripened tomato, the same as his oval, painted-on nose. He mumbles. “N-nothing.”
“And what’s this costume?” I point to his orange and brown-spotted foam get-up and flick a cat ear, then motion to the backward paws on his feet and the dog face attached to his ass. “You’re a cat and a dog?”
He rolls his eyes and gets on all fours. “I’m CatDog.”
“I don’t get it.”
“You might be a little young for that one.” Landon draws his mouth to one side and hides it behind a hand, tilting to me. “He’s his own date.”
“It’s okay, buddy.” Indi soothes Fletch with a gentle pat when he stands again. “Can we sit down? These sandals are killing me.”
We migrate to the couch, finding our spots musical-chairs style. Landon unties the straps crisscrossing Indi’s ankles and calves, then props her feet across his lap. She sighs out a hum of relief.
Do they have to be so cute?
Skylar and Jaeger claim the other end, and we force Masterson and a couple of rookies to scooch. Fletcher squeezes in next to me. I throw him a glare.
“She’s a genius for making you dress as Ron Stoppable.”
“Shut up.”
“Where’s the naked mole rat?”
I refer with my eyes to my crotch.
“ Ew . You’re gross.”
Freckles bunches her fists at her hips.
“Where am I supposed to sit?”
“Right here, baby.” I smack both thighs, spreading them apart to make room for her. She doesn’t hesitate, and I instantly regret the suggestion.
“Fuck me,” I mutter inside my own mouth. But she reclines to my front and is within earshot.
“Maybe later,” she mutters back, ass shifting up and down, working my cock until it’s so hard, it aches. I can’t focus on anything but her goddamn perfect ass.
My fingers dig into her hips. “Stop that.”
Gabe ignores my warning and flashes me a glare. “What was your question?” she asks Daphne.
Her name’s not Daphne, but that’s who she’s dressed as, and I couldn’t care less about any woman other than the one reverse-cowgirling me through my pants.
Fuck, that’s what I want. Her riding me so hard I can’t see. But not in front of everyone.
“Would you slap your boyfriend, husband, partner, whatever you wanna call him…for a billion dollars?”
Skylar sputters. “Hell no. That’s my baby. We don’t need a billion dollars. We have more than enough money, don’t we, my love?” She dots Jaeger’s mouth with two short pecks. His eyes glaze over for a moment before returning to their deadened state.
Fucking goon.
“I’d do it,” Indi replies through a yawn.
Landon protests. “ Babyyy .”
“What? Get real, Radek. It’s a lot of money! Don’t worry. I’ll give you a billion-dollar blowie after.”
“Can I get one of those tonight?”
“For free?” She denies with an exaggerated nah . “Without the money, you get the regular service.”
“Deal!”
“What about you, Gabe?”
My girlfriend turns her head to pore over me. “A billion dollars?” She turns back to the girls. “I’d do it for free.”
Jaw askew, the tip of my tongue presses into these horrible buck teeth in disbelief.
Bye-bye, nice, touchy-feely Gabe. Guess the edible wore off.
Each dude on this sectional erupts into laughter. Landon’s shoulders shake from where he hides in the crook of Indi’s neck as she chides him. Olsen does a Patrick Star dopey chuckle while Szecze slaps a knee. Fletcher tips forward off of the cushion, snorting through short breaths as he holds his stomach, the dog on his ass spasming without relent.
Freckles has some fucking nerve to be a brat right now.
She launches herself up by pushing her hands on her knees. “Sorry to cut the fun short. I have to use the washroom.”
When she disappears down a hall, I jump to my feet. “Be right back.”
There’s only one way to deal with a brat effectively.
I use my thumbnail to turn the lock of the powder room. Gabe’s seated on the pot. The color spreading over her questioning face matches her temporary hair color.
“ Um , hello ?”
“I—” The trickle of pee hitting the toilet water interrupts my original train of thought. I stumble through confused words. “You-how-but…you’re still wearing your pants? How are you peeing?”
She wipes and stands before closing the lid and flushing.
“They’re for hiking. So women can go in the middle of the woods without having to flash everyone the goods.” A zipping sound begins as Gabe closes the zipper back-to-front. “Also, excuse me?” She bumps me with her hip to wash and dry her hands. “Can’t even pee without you following me like an attention-starved puppy.”
Attention-starved puppy? Okay, she’s not wrong, but no need to say it to my face.
I relock the door, switch the venting fan on and turn both the handles of the faucet fully, hoping it’ll drown out our bickering, then drop my voice to a yelling whisper.
“Excuse me ? Excuse YOU !” My index finger accuses. “What the hell are you trying to pull out there?”
Gabe glances at me through the mirror, lifting her brows, and gives a slow blink. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“That’s bullshit?—”
Her gaze sharpens. A salacious grin appears. “What are you gonna do about it?”
Oh .
I swallow, the air suddenly thick and suffocating, my semi from Gabe’s mini-riding session growing harder. “So that was your plan all along? Get me so riled up I take you right here in the wash?—”
“Maybe.” Facing me, her hand balls the hem of my shirt, nails scraping the skin underneath. She tugs my mouth to hers. “Maybe I want you to.”
“ Fuck .”
“And don’t make excuses.” Our lips brush. “I’m not high.”
“How do I know for sure?”
Gabe backs me into the wall by the throat, treating me to a sweltering, tongue-first kiss that has me moaning into her mouth and hungry for more when she stops. It’s intentional, calculated.
Clarity and challenge gleam in the hazel streaking her eyes. “How’s that?”
“Turn around,” I say huskily. “And unzip your pants.”
She does.
“Now bend over.”
Gabe listens again, bracing her arms against the sink top and giving the most incredible view of her ass, split down the middle with a flimsy thong.
“Are you wet, or do you need more of my kisses?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“Gladly.” My hand curls around her to the open split of her pants, moving aside the string to test her wetness. It’s damp but not nearly enough. I want her sore, not torn up.
From my right cargo pocket, I retrieve a black satin satchel. Its resident slides from the smooth fabric into my palm. Heavy, ridged with veins. The bright pink silicone dick that she likes to pretend is me.
“I figured out why you love this thing so much. It’s me, but portable.”
Twisting the dial at the bottom makes the toy buzz softly. I move the tip onto one nipple, watching how it puckers through the black fabric before repeating it on the other side.
I spit on the head and mouth it, coating it with saliva as far as I can without gagging.
Gabe’s breath staggers.
My cock swells, eyes unwavering from hers. They blow wide as I prod the slick tip through the cleft of her pussy, gliding it past her clit.
Her fingers crook into arches against the counter, each gasp and sigh shallower than the last.
Another twist increases the speed of vibrations and she winces, then tosses her head, bowing her back when I thrust it inside. In and out, in and out, only stopping briefly over her g-spot.
The vanity shakes as her knees clack against its cupboard doors.
I use my free hand to cover hers, thumbing the vein at her wrist. “This drumming, your pulse. It’s for me, right?” I search for it every time we’re together, and it’s the same. Steadily climbing. “It’s because you’re mine, Freckles. Every beat, every orgasm, every part of this stunning pussy. All mine. Even when I’m not there. It’s me you use to get yourself off. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re…”
“Go ahead. Lie to me.”
The highest setting of the toy cuts her off. “Oh, my God. Fu- fuck .”
“Go on, Gabe, fuck this fake dick and pretend it’s me. Squeeze those tight pussy walls around it until you come.”
Tremoring through a whimper, she finishes so hard that the dildo slips out. I toss it into the running sink, afraid if I wait any longer, I’ll come on myself.
I tear open a condom from my pocket with my teeth, undoing my pants enough to roll it on. It stretches and stretches around the curve, dulling the red crown to pink.
“Throw this fucking ass back,” I demand, positioning her hips to line up to her soaked, freshly fucked cunt from behind. I tap twice against her opening. “This is what you want, Freckles?”
She gasps, then gasps again when I insert the head. “More.”
I inch in deeper with each thrust, my grasp on her shoulder wrenching her shirt up and revealing those pebbled nipples. “To be tits out, letting me hit it from the back while the entire Regents roster is out there?”
“ Fuck .” Gabe whimpers when I steady my pace. “Yes,” she admits. “Harder.”
The next slam has her crying my name. “You want ‘em to hear how badly you need my cock?”
Heavy breathing, shameless moaning—no idea whether it’s her or both of us, and it doesn’t fucking matter. All that matters is how the rough slapping between my hips and her ass is gonna finish us off. I spread her cheeks to stroke my thumb over the pink asshole, and her walls clench around me. “Is this okay?”
“Yes.”
I fill her entirely with a groan. “What about degradation?”
“Yes,” she repeats.
“Thank fuck.” The speed of my thrusts return. “You’re fucking made for me, you know that, Freckles? This snug cunt fits so perfectly around my cock. Gets so tight when I play with your ass.”
The filth has her making a mess on me, and I drive faster, pleasure coiling into a painful knot at the root of my spine, balls aching for release. But I need her to finish with me.
One hand steadies her hip, and the other reaches for the column of her neck. A gentle compression draws out her pleasured gurgle.
“Eyes on the mirror. Want you to see your pussy being a greedy little whore for me. For this cock and no one else.”
When she shatters, I shatter, staying deep inside her until we stop trembling.
Through shallow pants, I lick her throat. Salt from the sweat beading on her skin collects on my tongue.
“Why do you look at me like that?” she asks.
“Like what?”
“Like I’m the best thing you’ve ever experienced.”
I swipe my finger through her wetness and suck it clean. “Aren’t you just?”
Running water rinses the toy off, and I tuck it back in its satchel and my pocket. We straighten up.
“What a missed opportunity.” Gabe tuts.
“For what?”
“I thought for sure you were gonna fuck my ass.”
“Have you ever been fucked like that?”
“No.”
“You’d be my first, too. And that’s exactly why I wouldn’t do it here, in Landy’s powder room. And without lube? Not a chance.”
“Dang, Pretty Boy. We gotta get you a new hobby other than making me a bunch of your firsts.” Gabe finger-combs her hair. “Do you think anyone realized we were messing around?”
“Nah.” I unlock the door and turn the knob. “The music’s loud, and they’re probably all busy chatting?—”
A wave of our friends ebbs from the door.
Holy shit. Were they all standing here listening?
Every single one of them fakes distraction. Skylar jumps Derrick and starts making out. Olsen and Szezce take their dates on piggyback rides away from the crime scene. Poor Fletch flips around and sticks his nose in a corner. Landon presses a cheek against the wall with a squint.
“Would you say this paint color is eggshell or pearl?”
Indi studies it with narrowed eyes as well. “I’m no expert, but…I think it’s alabaster.”
“Yes!” He snaps and wags a finger. “That’s the one! Alabaster!”
Gabe covers her eyes with a spread palm.
I play it cool.
“Hey, what’s going on out here?”
A chorus of “nothing, oh, nothing” chimes back.
“What’s Donovan doin’ in the corner?”
“I’m in time-out,” he says.
“Why?”
“I put myself there.”
Before I embarrass these idiots further, Indi claps her hands together. “Time for a game!”
I mumble into Gabe’s shoulder as they garner the attention of the rest of the team. “You’re gonna punish me for this, aren’t you?”
“Punish you? You made me come twice in ten minutes.” Her eyes peer at me from one corner. “You want me to?”
“Only if the punishment includes you in my bed, on your hands and knees.”
“ Hmm .” Her lips purse. “That sounds like a reward for good boys.”
“I made you come twice in ten minutes,” I parrot. “Doesn’t that make me the goodest boy?”
“You’re such a dog.” Gabe cracks a stifled smile, swathing my torso in a familiar warmth. “And don’t you dare fucking bark.”
Too lost in the bubble of our own banter, we almost miss Indi’s instructions, pointing to me, Skylar, Jaeger, Fletcher, and Gabe. “It’s like Telephone and Pictionary and we’ll draw at the same time. Line up facing the wall.” Landon tapes a piece of paper to each of our backs, handing us all black markers.
“Why am I last?” I whine.
“And don’t be a cheat and look back,” Indi warns. “I’ll start drawing something, one line at a time, until everyone has a picture.”
My fake girlfriend pinches my ass while we wait. “Gabe Finch!” I chide in a southern drawl, protecting the assets with both hands. “Have some decorum, young lady.”
She returns a giggle.
My heart feels like it’s going to explode.
I turn to witness it for myself.
“Alright, that’s it, lovebirds!” Indi yells. “Switch spots.”
Gabe steps ahead, now in the last position. A piece of paper hangs from the wall for her.
“Stay still,” Fletcher directs, his hand on my back, keeping the paper in place.
“It tickles.”
He starts with a vertical line. And then another, followed by a v and yet another vertical line. I M?
“The fuck, Donovan? That’s not a picture.”
“That’s what’s being drawn, okay? Now let me concentrate.”
I recreate the letter shapes onto Gabe’s back. I. M. P. R. E. G. N.
Hold on.
My head whips around to the Radeks at the same time as Fletcher’s. We stare, gawping at the enthusiastic double thumbs-up they give us.
The crowd collectively aww s. Skylar lets out a high-pitched squeak before Landon quiets everyone.
“What, what? Why’d everyone stop?”
“Sorry, sorry. I’ll keep going.”
I peer over her shoulder. Gabe drew the lines detached from one another.
“ Psst ! Connect the lines, Finch!” Landon calls through cupped hands.
“I’m…preg-nant?” She sputters. “Pregnant? Pfft . No, I’m not?—”
Realization dawns on her, and she spins, rushing to Indi.
They clasp each other’s hands, their welling tears barely held back. “You’re pregnant?”
As if my heart hasn’t been through the wringer throughout the evening, seeing Gabe get emotional is like getting hit by a bus.
Silence only lasts for a moment before morphing into full-on sobbing. The girls lace their fingers together and let go to hug and weep. Landon wipes his eyes, too.
“Holy crap, you’re crying?” Fletch outs me.
“They’re having a baby, for fuck’s sake.” I sniffle and rub away the tears, approaching Landon and Indi to join Gabe to share a group embrace. “We’re having a baby!”
Teammates, brothers, and friends huddle around us, filling the air with the unbelievable high of love and pride that rivals winning. Hell, it’s pretty damn close to sex with Gabe.
Our eyes find one another in the chaos, untangling from the web of arms, the adrenaline crashing our lips and tongues together in a fury.
And the high doesn’t end there. It continues in the cab ride home, where Gabe and I make out like horny teenagers.
It continues on the ride up the elevator, where we dry hump against the handrail.
And it continues when we strip each other down, and she seats herself on my bed, legs wide with her fingers strumming across her reddened pussy.
“Fucking hell.” I grip the base of my cock and pump, spreading pre-cum up and down the shaft. It’s already so slick. Squeezing provides no relief.
“Don’t touch yourself,” she whines. “Get inside me, already.”
I drop it from my hand, but it stays upright, curved, and hard as fuck. “Then flip over and grab a condom from the drawer.”
Her obeying has my dick bobbing. I sheath the impatient shit.
“Hands and knees, Freckles. Like you said you would. Wanna see my girlfriend be a needy slut for my cock again.”