CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

DREAMING

RHODES

Now

After I put Levi to bed, I’m on a mission to get to Elle. Disappointment slaps me in the face when I realize she went to her room. I stare at her closed door and walk toward my room, then stop and turn back toward hers…more times than I wa nt to admit.

I respect a closed door…but I know her. I know she’s in there worrying about what happened between us. I know she’s never quite right after seeing Carrie, no matter how many times it’s been now.

I know that she kissed me back and that her body is begging to be worshipped, begging for me .

I know that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.

Without overthinking it another second, I knock lightly on her door.

“Yes?” she calls.

“Can I come in?”

There’s only the briefest pause before she says, “Come in.”

I open the door and chuckle when I find her room dark. “You didn’t waste any time getting into bed.”

“I didn’t know how long it would take Levi to settle down…”

“Mm-hmm.” I walk toward her bed so I can see her a little better. “Once I told him you’d be here tomorrow too, he took Pretzel and laid right down.”

“That teddy bear is the best investment I ever made.”

I hear the smile in her voice and it warms me from the inside out.

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay after…earlier,” I say.

She looks up at me, her hair splayed out on the pillow, the moonlight and nightlight shining from the open door of her bathroom casting an ethereal glow over her.

“I’m okay…besides the lingering embarrassment that I’m a complete hussy.”

I choke back a laugh. “Tell me how you can possibly define yourself as a complete hussy.”

“You saw the way I—” She waves her hand toward my body, and I lift the covers, motioning for her to scoot over. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not letting you get out of talking about this, my filthy hussy.”

She snorts. “I can call myself that, but you’re not allowed...and I never said filthy…”

I laugh and turn to face her, tugging on her to face me too. We stare at each other for a few moments, and I’m nervous, but this also feels more right than anything ever has.

“I have so many favorite memories with you, but the two times I’ve seen you fall apart…next level.”

“Yeah?” she whispers.

“Yeah.”

She waits a beat and then, “I’m scared, Rhodes.”

“Of what, baby?”

“You and me. We’re so good, Rhodes. I can’t live without you. You’re my best friend, and doing anything physical…it will change things.”

“Why does it have to? Or…what if the change is better?”

“You’re gonna be thirty-two next month and you’ve never had a girlfriend.”

“ You’re my girl. For thirteen years, you’ve been my girl.”

She makes a face and I tug her lower lip out from under her teeth and then smooth it with my thumb.

“You know what I mean,” she says. “We shouldn’t mess with us, Rhodes. What we have is too important.”

“You’re right. I could tell you why I think I’ve never had a relationship work out, but I’m not sure you’re ready to hear it.”

Her expression is conflicted. My fingers trace down her neck and I feel her pulse quicken.

“What if I show you what it can be like between us? It will be explosive, Elle. You know it will. We can do this tonight and go from there. We will still be best friends, us , but here in this bed, I’ll be your lover.”

“What happens when you get tired of me or you want someone else?”

“I will never get tired of you. I’ve never wanted anyone else.”

She reaches out and puts her hand on my cheek. “That sounds like a relationship.”

“Well, we are fake dating, so…”

She laughs and I pull her to me, hugging her.

“Where is this coming from?” she whispers.

“Woman, you and I have been participating in the longest foreplay known to man.”

She giggles again and my hand slides down her back until it reaches her ass. I squeeze it and she arches into me.

“So, you’re hot for me, is that it?” Her voice is husky and through my thin T-shirt, I feel her nipples pressing into me.

“It’s more than that and you know it, but if you’re more comfortable calling it that, we can,” I say, kissing down her jawline and neck.

“One time and we get it out of our systems?”

I pause and look at her. “If you seriously think that’s true, I have my work cut out for me.”

“I’m just giving you an out, us an out…in case we do this and it’s…bad?” Her hands clutch my head to her chest when I lick my way down to her tits and tongue her peak through the soft satin tank.

I lift her shirt and she whimpers when my tongue connects with her skin.

“Tell me you think anything we do together will be bad, Elle love,” I say against her other breast .

“Do you call everyone love and baby?” she asks between gasps.

I squeeze her ass again. “No one else. Ever. And I’ve called you these things from the beginning.”

She smiles. “You have.”

She leans up and pulls her tank over her head and I fully see her for the first time. My Elle.

“Fuck. You take my fucking breath away. Can I see all of you?” I ask.

She nods and slowly pulls her shorts down, tossing them aside.

I curse under my breath. “So beautiful, I can’t think straight.”

I lean down and kiss her stomach and then keep going until I’m between her legs. When I inhale and take in her sweetness, I can hardly believe I’m here.

Right where I want to be.

I press a chaste kiss on her pussy and she squeaks. Amused, I glance up and she’s leaning up on her elbows.

“I think this didn’t feel real until—” she says.

“I kissed your pussy?”

She covers her face with her hand and peeks between her fingers. “God, Rhodes. Yes. Are we really doing this?”

“Oh, I think so. I’ve been waiting way too long to taste you?—”

“You don’t have to do that. I—I have a hard time relaxing and usually can’t?—”

I prop her legs on my shoulders. “You can watch or you can lie back, but I’m doing this.”

She whimpers again and the sounds change drastically when I start licking her. I take my time, kissing and sucking and devouring. She is everything I’ve craved. Her legs tighten around my head and she starts moaning louder. I hear her shift the pillow over her face and I smile against her skin.

“That’s it. Let it out.”

When my fingers dip into her wetness, she bucks against me and I suck harder.

“Rhodes,” she cries. “So good.”

And then her cries are indistinguishable as she covers her mouth with the pillow. She’s so close. I can feel the flutters beginning and when she clamps down hard against my fingers, her moan goes straight to my cock. I only slow down when she pulls my hair.

I look up, mouth still clamped on her and she says, “I want you. Now.”

I still and then press one more kiss on her before I move up, my hands near her head as I hover.

“You sure?” I ask.

“Positive.”

“I’ll be right back.” I’m jogging to my room and back with a condom before she can miss me.

She’s exactly where I left her, and I pull my shirt off in one swipe. She leans up on her elbows and then sits up and advances toward me like a lioness on the hunt.

“Fuck, you are something else,” I say, gripping my dick so I don’t blow my load right here. “There’s so much I want to do with you.”

“Let’s start by taking these off,” she says, slipping her fingers under the band of my sweatpants.

I can’t take my eyes off of her, can’t stop smiling. “Seeing you look at me this way...” I shake my head. “It’s intoxicating.”

I step out of my sweats and her eyes drop to take me in. I’m hard as stone.

“God, Rhodes,” she says reverently .

Her eyes meet mine in what I can only describe as awe before they drop back down.

“You are…unbelievable,” she says. “Now I know what you meant about puny.”

A laugh bursts out of me and I try to scowl. “You’re calling me puny?”

She gasps and starts laughing, reaching out and wrapping her fist around me. “No. Everyone else before you.”

I rip open the condom and slide it on. “I don’t care about everyone before me, only that I’m the only one from here on.”

Her gaze meets mine, surprise flickering through them. She doesn’t fully get that there’s never going to be anyone for me but her, but she will. It might take time to deprogram the friend zone out of her, but I will.

I put my hand on the curve of her hip. When I lean my knees on the bed, I surprise her again by picking her up. Her legs wrap around me and both of us take a deep breath when my dick hits her soft, warm center. My forehead touches hers.

“It’s still us,” I whisper.

She nods.

“But I’m going to fuck you every way I’ve imagined for the past thirteen years, so it’s going to take more than one night.”

“Okay,” she says shakily.

I can’t help but smile at her, and then I kiss her as I gently lay her on the pillow and lean over her.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“I feel like I’m dreaming.”

“I assure you, this is real.”