Page 24 of Drive Me Wild (Drive Me #2)

TWENTY-FOUR

JOSIE

The moment the door to Ella’s hotel suite opens, I barge past her and into the spacious living area. Plush, squeaky dog toys are scattered around the floor and a small crate is tucked away near the tiny en suite kitchen. I tiptoe through an array of colorful toys to find a bare spot on the plush carpet. Sitting down, I pat the floor in front of me. Champ stops chewing on the end of a dinosaur-shaped toy and parades over to me, covering my face in much-needed puppy kisses.

I glance up at Ella. “Is Blake here?”

“Nope.” The door shuts with a soft thump, and she makes her way over to me. Situating herself on the oversized gray couch, she says, “He’s playing poker with Lucas.”

“And Poppy?”

As if on cue, Ella’s friend waltzes out of the bathroom. She’s visiting from New York and, let’s just say, she’s made the paddock her own personal dating service. I’ve concluded that her theme song is “Man Eater” since the power Poppy has over the opposite sex is impressive. Men have willingly gone back to her apartment after dates—fully knowing they’re not getting any action—just to change her smoke detector batteries or fix her washing machine. Considering she eats men for breakfast, her opinion on my current predicament may be helpful. Or hurtful. That’s up in the air.

I draw in a deep, audible breath. Here goes nothing.

“I’ve been sleeping with Theo. And yes, the Theo I’m talking about is Theo Walker. The same Theo Walker who had a debate with an ESPN reporter on why using conditioner before shampoo better moisturizes your hair. And he just told me that he wants to give things a real shot, and I didn’t know what to say. I can’t just make a snap decision about a relationship like that, you know? This isn’t like deciding if I want one or two scoops of ice cream. Do I want to be with him? Yes, of course. He’s my best friend. But this year was supposed to be about doing things for myself, not getting into another relationship. So, now I have no clue what I’m supposed to do about any of this, and I need your help.”

The minute I’m done speaking, I bury my head into Champ’s scruffy neck, feeling exposed and on display. I abhor confrontation and Theo put me in the spotlight in the worst way possible. Hence why I asked for a minute to breathe, although that led him going off on me.

Poppy claps her hands together. “Told you so! Pay up.”

I glance up to find her auburn eyes narrowing at Ella expectantly. Ella’s completely oblivious to her friend. Instead, she gapes at me in dawning astonishment before tossing a throw pillow in my direction. It smacks me in the head before landing softly at my side. Champ leaps onto it before turning in a few circles and curling up into a ball. Such a little tater tot.

Ella tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “What the hell! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh c’mon, El,” Poppy cuts in. “You’re the world’s worst secret-keeper.”

“Am not! I’m just not a good liar. Very big difference.” Ella grabs another pillow and throws it at Poppy before swiveling her head to me again. “You know I wouldn’t have told anyone, right? Not even Blake.”

“Yes, yes, I know,” I reassure her. “I was trying to figure things out on my own. Us out. How I felt. Feel.”

Ella’s rarely at a loss for words, but she continues to stare at me with a slack jaw and wide eyes. Lovely . Not exactly the support I need right now. Poppy pours us each a glass of wine to ease the confused tension in the room. The liquid reaches the rim, threatening to spill over if the glasses are disturbed.

“Since your news seems to have broken Ella,” Poppy says with a pointed eye roll, “I’ll take over. Is Theo the only guy you’re sleeping with?”

I nod. “Yes.”

A simple look from Theo and my pulse skyrockets. He has complete control over my body and all it takes is a sweet smile, a lingering kiss, or a caress of the arm. He’s ruined all other men for me and the wanker knows it.

She crosses her long legs like she’s conducting an important interview. “Are you going on dates with other people?”

“Um… no.”

Poppy sighs. “You have to have a roster, Josie. That way, you don’t catch feelings for anyone.”

“That sounds complicated,” I admit. “What if two of them have the same name and you accidentally text one instead of the other?”

“I don’t save anyone’s number unless they’ve made me orgasm at least five times total.” Poppy shrugs as if this should be a well-documented fact. “Do you guys text all the time or just when making plans?”

“The former,” I squeak out faintly. If I’m not with Theo, I’m either on the phone with him, texting him, or most likely thinking about him.

“Okay.” Poppy nods slowly. “And if you—or he—found out the other person was sleeping with someone else, what would happen?”

The mere thought of anyone touching Theo the way I have—the way I do —makes my stomach churn. I’m not a particularly jealous person, but I’d ask Kelsey for private lessons if it meant keeping the Insta-models at bay.

My silence to her question is answer enough.

She slowly claps her hands together and smiles widely. “Well, congrats! There’s no need for you to freak out.”

“No?”

She shakes her head, her raven-dark hair brushing against her shoulders. “Nope. The decision’s already made. Theo’s your boyfriend.”

Her words send a flutter of warmth to the pit of my stomach. Shit. I groan loudly into Champ’s scruffy neck. This is the one thing that wasn’t supposed to happen. Under any circumstances. Whatsoever. How do you figure out who you are when you’re tied up in a relationship? “Why do I suck at being single?”

Ella interrupts my pity party. “Before you spiral, keep in mind that you can’t compare Theo to any of your exes or previous relationships.”

Can too, because I’m doing it right now.

I lift my head. “Why not?”

“Because in your other relationships, you neglected things you loved for their benefit, without getting the same things in return. You’re selfless, not selfish, Jos. And that’s amazing, but you tend to focus on others before yourself,” she explains. “Think about it. Does Theo ever make you feel like being your own person and spending time with him are mutually exclusive? Even when you were just friends?”

I don’t even have to think twice about it. “Never.”

In past relationships, I’ve felt like I had to give up something to make room for someone . But with Theo, it’s different. I can spend time with him and not sacrifice spending time with myself. He gives me space while still always being there for me.

“Exactly,” Ella says. “Stop overthinking things and trust your gut, Jos.”

My conversation with Claude rushes through my head. Trust your gut, Josephine. No one knows you better than you, whether you’ve realized that or not. With the right people, you won’t have to worry. You’ll just know.

“Plus, Theo’s Theo. He’s not on the same playing field as any other guy. He talks about his dick in the third person, and he still thinks the phrase is ‘Florida ceiling windows’ and not ‘floor-to-ceiling windows,’ but that’s why we all love him, you know?”

A lightness fills my chest as I think about the man whose playfulness camouflages the pensive side of him. A man whose easy smile brightens any room he walks into and sets my entire body ablaze with a single unassuming stare. “You’re right.”

“I know.” She grins at me, her dimple popping up. “I’m always right. Just ask Blake.”

As I walk back to my hotel room, the sound of someone crooning a very horrible rendition of Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” echoes off the walls. That someone is a blue-eyed, tone-deaf Australian with a complete disregard for every other hotel guest. I have no idea how to even begin dissecting what’s going on.

“You singing backup for the Biebs?” I call out as I approach him. “Or just trying to burst my eardrums?”

The moment he spots me, he jumps to his feet like a kangaroo and sweeps the hair from his forehead. “I thought you were inside and just ignoring me,” he admits. “Figured singing was a surefire way to catch your attention.”

“It definitely caught someone’s attention.” I laugh, nodding toward the couple staring at Theo from the other end of the hallway.

Opening the door so we can talk in private, I motion for Theo to follow me. I can feel him breathing down my neck as I make my way to the couch, the smell of his cologne flooding my senses. Sitting down, he leaves zero space between us, pressing his thigh against mine. Sparks of electricity crawl across my skin—an automatic reaction to being near him.

“I’m sorry for walking out earlier.” His lips tremble around the words, making his nerves clear, despite his calm demeanor. “I got overwhelmed and panicked and, well, as you can see, I’m not very good at this.”

I tuck my knees up to my chest and look at him. “At what?”

“Admitting to my best friend that I want relationship benefits, too.”

An accidental giggle breaks free. “Is that what you were doing? Because, if I recall correctly, you mildly accused me of using your penis as my personal pleasure palace.”

Placing his hand on my knee, he gives it a light squeeze. “Sorry ‘bout that, angel. Don’t know what I was rambling on about. I was so nervous, I temporarily blacked out.”

Resting my hand on top of his, I run my thumb against his knuckles. The tips of my fingers barely go past his middle knuckle. “I wasn’t saying I don’t want to be with you, Theo. But you came to me knowing what you wanted. You had time to think about it. I didn’t. I needed a moment to catch my breath. I never make big decisions without thinking them through, and you know that.”

“Have you had enough time?” He rubs his free hand up and down his bouncing legs. “You know… to think?”

I answer by teasingly elbowing his arm. “Is this your subtle way of reminding me how impatient you are?”

Shoulder pushing back, his back straightens. “No. This is me telling you that you’re worth the wait. If you need time to think it over, that’s cool with me.”

Taking a deep breath, I lean back and study the man—sometimes man-child— I’ve been spending my days laughing with and nights cuddling next to. Stubble pricks at my fingertips as I trail them against his movie-star jaw. Theo’s eyes follow my every move, watching me with an intensity that makes my cheeks burn. “Are you sure this is what you want? A relationship?”

“I want to be the one whose arms you fall asleep in. And if I’m not next to you, I want to be the one you’re thinking of when you lay in bed at night. I want to be the person whose touch you crave when you wake up. I want to be the one you look for in a crowded room, and the one you want to send memes to on Instagram. I want you and only you. I love you, Jos.”

I cup his cheeks, feeling the warmth of his skin on my palm. “Well, the good news is that I love you, too. A wild amount.”

I’m not sure who leans in first, but when our lips meet, it’s like my world is suddenly put back on its axis, turning in the right direction. Theo snakes his tongue in my mouth and tangles his fingers into the hair laying over the nape of my neck. A small whimper of content slips through my lips, and Theo eagerly accepts it.

Leaning back, I gently place my hands on his chest. His lustful eyes roam up and down my body. My legs, my waist, my chest, my neck, my lips, my face.

“If we do this?—”

“We’re doing this.”

“We’re doing this,” I agree with a nod. “But on one condition.”

Theo laughs from deep in his throat. “Is the condition that I give you endless orgasms?”

“That’s a given, babes.”

“Unlimited cuddles and back scratches? Constant compliments about how fucking fantastic your arse is? A new nickname for the girls?”

I laugh and hold up my hand to stop him. “Those are all great, but not what I was thinking. The condition is that, even if you’re my boyfriend, you’re still my best friend, too. That doesn’t change.”

That can’t change.

“Agreed. Is there a contract you want me to sign? Any other terms I should be aware of? Do I get a bonus if I buy you flowers every week?”

As his friend, I shoot him an annoyed eye roll. As his girlfriend, I cover his lips with mine to force him to shut up. He eagerly licks into my mouth and soon we’re stumbling over to my bed, desperate for one another. Theo peels off each piece of my clothing with expert care, admiring the exposed skin beneath as the material falls away.

I can’t get over how gentle his big hands are as he caresses my naked body. He knows every curve, every dip, every inch of skin better than he knows the circuits he drives on. He cups my breasts, squeezing and massaging them like he’s never seen or felt them before. My nipples tighten as he teases the bare tips, running his tongue over them like a man possessed. Tortured sighs turned to moans as his teeth get involved, marking my pale skin.

“Lay down, baby,” he instructs, his voice husky. “Need to taste you.”

I nearly collapse backwards onto the bed, already lightheaded with desire. As he strips out of his clothing, my need only escalates. Muscles ripple down his arms, his rounded shoulders, his toned stomach, his strong legs. His chest is wonderfully broad, with a tuft of coarse hair set in the middle. It’s an overwhelmingly sexy silhouette made even better by his straining erection.

He looks down at his cock, a playful smirk marking his lips. “Wild, isn’t it? How much of an effect we have on one another?”

Feeling bold, I say, “All words, pretty boy. Let’s see if you can walk the walk.”

The smile on his face disappears out of sight as he moves between my legs. Theo parts me with his thumbs before tracing his tongue against the folds, humming in pleasure at my taste. His mouth moves in synchronization with my moans and the movements of my hips. I’m almost embarrassed by how quickly he gets me to the point of no return. I grab the white sheets in my fists, mumbling his name as my climax sweeps through me. Theo continues to lick and suck my center until I’m squirming under his touch, too sensitive for more of his magical tongue.

With a satisfied grin tugging at his lips, he scoots off the bed and grabs his pants, fumbling around to find the condom that’s always hidden in his wallet. We usually have sex in his hotel suite because “Egyptian cotton is more sensual,” so I don’t keep any on me.

Theo lays back on the bed and rolls the condom over his impressive length. My breath hitches in my chest as I slowly lower myself onto him. His hands cup my arse for grip as I ride him, using my hips to say everything I don’t know how to. I’m a whimpering mess as he massages the sensitive spot inside me, the pad of his thumb rubbing against my clit while his other hand pinches and tugs at my sensitive nipples.

“Theo,” I gasp, my breath getting caught in my chest.

He places a quick kiss on my lips before sitting up and holding me against him. “I know, baby, I know.”

Our bare chests press against each other, providing more heat to the already stifling room. Theo drags his lips down my jawline to my neck while he grips my hips, moving them to grind against his. I throw my head back and enjoy the affection he’s giving my body, along with the slow but deep thrusting done by his hips.

My body feels like a boiling pot of water, a slow build ready to overflow at any moment. I moan with reckless abandon, clinging to his body as the delicious rush of another orgasm edges closer. Theo’s body is an aphrodisiac that controls every fiber of my being.

“You’re mine.” He leans in, fiercely searing his lips against mine. “Mine, Josie Bancroft.”

My climax rolls through my stomach, sliding south until I’m contracting around Theo, writhing like a snake in his lap. It’s like a volcano is erupting inside my veins, my coiled muscles relieving themselves of the tension my arousal created.

Thrusting up harder and faster to prolong my orgasm and catch up to his own, he emits those little noises he always denies making when he gets close. Knowing he’s on edge, I rake my nails against his back, listening to the hiss of breath between his teeth. Moments later, I feel him pulse inside me, swears coming from his lips accompanying his shattering release.

“This is my favorite place to be,” Theo says as we lay cuddled in my bed sometime later.

I roll onto my side so our noses are practically tip to tip. “In bed?”

“With you.” He flashes me a sultry smile. “You’re my biggest adventure and my safe space all rolled into one gorgeous girl with a fantastic rack.”

“That was very sweet until you brought my tits into it.”

“Chip and Dale deserve recognition,” Theo argues with a pout.

I bury my face into his chest so he can’t see the grin I’m failing miserably to hide. Then again, it’s Theo—I’m always wearing a smile around him. He is my favorite person, after all.