Page 14 of To Her

Geri

A lex wasn't like Matt at all. Where Matt would disappear for days at a time, Alex called and messaged me daily—all day, in fact.

It was sweet, almost overwhelming after the emotional drought I'd been stuck in.

He stalked the shit out of me online, liking all my posts, including ones from years ago, and commenting on how good I looked in each one.

I ate it up, basking in the attention. It was nice to have someone want me for once, to have someone who wasn't afraid to show it.

Matt hadn't called at all. Not once since our night at his parents' house.

I tried to ignore the pull I still felt toward him, the way my heart would skip when my phone rang, only to crash when it wasn't his name on the screen.

I told myself it was for the best. That I was moving on to something healthier, something more consistent.

When the weekend arrived, Alex invited me to go out to a club up in Riverdale.

I said yes, but I also invited two girlfriends of mine who didn't know Matt or Haley or anyone from my Seabreeze Haven life.

Why? I wasn't entirely sure. Maybe because deep down, I knew if Matt came running back, I would allow it, and I needed witnesses to my shame.

Kelly and Louise were excited to go out.

I met them at their place in Riverdale, ready for a night of distraction.

Louise was a girl I'd met back when I was with Ben.

She had, in fact, told me two days after I found out about Jess that she had hooked up with Ben one night, but when she discovered he had a girlfriend, she told him to go to hell.

Then, when we broke up, she hunted me down to be friends.

I didn't hold it against her. In the two months after Ben and I split, I'd come to realize that Jess and Louise were just two of many girls he'd hooked up with.

It was sad how blind I'd been, how I hadn't even noticed the signs.

"So, this new guy," Louise said as she applied another coat of mascara, "is he as hot as you say, or are you just desperate after the last disaster?"

I laughed, flipping her off. "He's hot. Like, unfairly hot. And his friends aren't bad either, from what I've seen in photos."

"Single friends?" Kelly perked up, suddenly more interested in the night ahead.

"Two of them coming tonight. Both single, as far as I know."

"Thank fuck," Louise sighed dramatically. "I haven't gotten laid in months. Mama needs some attention."

We got dressed up, and I put in a lot more effort than I had for our first meeting.

No pyjamas and Ugg boots this time. I wore a tight black dress that hugged every curve, heels that made my legs look a mile long, and makeup that made my eyes pop.

If I was going to do this—really move on from Matt—I was going to do it looking my absolute best.

We met Alex and his two mates at the club, the bass already thumping through the walls as we approached. Alex's face lit up when he saw me, his eyes traveling appreciatively down my body before he pulled me in for a kiss that left no doubt about his intentions for later.

"You look incredible," he murmured against my ear, his hand resting possessively on my lower back.

I introduced him to Kelly and Louise, who were both eyeing him with approval. Then he introduced his friends—Nick and Arjun.

Nick was shorter than Alex and Arjun, but still cute, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Louise zeroed in on him immediately, her predatory smile making her intentions clear.

Alex's other mate, Arjun, was hot as sin but seemed to have eyes for no one.

He was taller than Alex, with tanned skin, dark eyes, and a body that made me want to climb him like a tree.

I had never seen so many good-looking men in my life as I had in the last two weeks. I was totally hooked.

I wished life was a "why choose" novel because those two would make great bread in a girl sandwich. Cooling myself off with that thought, I got to dancing, only to discover that Arjun and Alex could dance like Michael Jackson, while I danced like a frog having a fit. Great.

But I wasn't ashamed. I just rolled with it, deciding to do my best lawn mower dance and fishing line. Hey, if you can't beat them, then just make a fool of yourself, right?

"What the hell is that supposed to be?" Alex laughed, watching me mime reeling in a fish.

"It's called talent," I shot back, exaggerating the movement. "You're just jealous you didn't think of it first."

He grabbed my hand and twirled me, pulling me close. "You're ridiculous," he said, but his eyes were warm with affection.

"You like it," I challenged.

"I do," he admitted, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I really do."

The night had been so much fun—drinks flowing, laughter constant, the six of us clicking in a way that felt surprisingly natural.

Louise and Nick were practically attached at the hip by the end of the night, while Kelly had managed to draw Arjun out of his shell enough that they were deep in conversation at a corner table.

It wasn't until the club ended and we spilled out into the night that we realized the car park we'd parked in was locked for the night, and we couldn't get home.

"Fuck," Louise groaned. "I am not sleeping in the car in this dress."

Alex suggested we go stay at his place and come back for the car in the morning. It was the logical solution, so we piled into an Uber and headed to his apartment. Once there, he set Louise and Kelly up on the floor of his living room with blankets and pillows, then led me to his bedroom.

The second we crossed the threshold, he pounced, wrapping himself around me and throwing me onto his bed.

He climbed on top and started to devour me, his mouth hungry against mine, his hands everywhere at once.

He spread my thighs, pulling down my underwear as he settled between my legs and started to eat me out with an enthusiasm that made my toes curl.

Fuck me, I was a goner as he licked and sucked. The bed was noisy, creaking and groaning under us, prompting me to say, "Let's move to the floor. The last thing I need is Kelly and Louise to hear us."

He nodded, helping me off the bed. I stripped off my dress as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing that tattooed torso that had first caught my attention. His jeans followed, and then we were both naked, drinking in the sight of each other in the dim light filtering through his curtains.

"You're so fucking beautiful," he murmured, pulling me against him for another kiss.

I could taste myself on his lips, and it sent a fresh wave of arousal through me. "So are you," I breathed, running my hands over his chest, tracing the lines of his tattoos.

We sank to the floor, and Alex grabbed a condom from his nightstand, settling between my thighs as he slowly pushed into me. The stretch was delicious, my body still getting used to his size. He started with gentle, measured thrusts, his eyes locked on mine, one hand cupping my face tenderly.

"Is this okay?" he asked, his voice rough with desire but his eyes searching mine for confirmation.

I nodded, wrapping my legs around his waist to pull him deeper. "More than okay."

He smiled, that crooked smile that had first caught my attention in his profile picture, and then he began to move in earnest. His thrusts grew harder, faster, the tenderness giving way to raw passion as we found our rhythm together.

I arched beneath him, feeling the carpet rubbing against my back with each thrust, the slight burn adding to the intensity of the sensation. His hands gripped my hips, lifting me slightly to change the angle, hitting that spot inside me that made stars explode behind my eyelids.

"Alex," I gasped, my nails digging into his shoulders. "Don't stop."

"Wasn't planning on it," he grunted, his pace increasing as he drove into me relentlessly.

I could feel the tension building, that familiar coiling in my lower belly that signalled I was close. Alex seemed to sense it too, one hand sliding between us to find my clit, circling it with just the right pressure.

"Come for me, Geri," he urged, his voice a husky command that sent shivers down my spine. "Let me feel you."

And I did, my body clenching around him as waves of pleasure crashed over me, my back arching off the floor as I tried to muffle my cries against his shoulder. He continued to thrust through my orgasm, prolonging it, drawing it out until I was trembling beneath him.

Then he was on his knees, his hands gripping my thighs as he fucked me hard and fast, the new position allowing him to go even deeper.

The carpet burned against my back, but I didn't care—the pleasure far outweighed the discomfort.

I watched his face, captivated by the intensity in his eyes, the way his jaw clenched with each thrust, the sheen of sweat on his brow.

Just as I felt another orgasm building, he pulled out, quickly rolling the condom off. With a few strokes of his hand, he came on my belly, his release hot against my skin. I watched, fascinated, as he caught his breath, then looked down at me with a mischievous smile.

To my surprise, he began to draw with his fingers, using his come to trace patterns on my stomach. Heart shapes, I realized with a mixture of amusement and tenderness. He was drawing love hearts on my belly with his come.

"What are you doing?" I asked, laughing softly.

"Art," he replied with a grin. "Beautiful canvas deserves beautiful art."

It was ridiculous and sweet and strangely intimate all at once. I pulled him down for a kiss, not caring about the mess between us.

"You're weird," I told him, but I was smiling.

"You like it," he countered, echoing our earlier exchange on the dance floor.

And I did. I liked his weirdness, his openness, his consistency. I liked the way he looked at me like I was something precious, something worth pursuing. I liked that he called when he said he would, that he didn't disappear for days at a time, that he wasn't afraid to show his interest.

As we lay there on his floor, sticky and satisfied, I wondered if this was what it felt like to be with someone who actually valued you. Someone who didn't make you question your worth with every unanswered call or text.

It felt good. It felt right.

And yet, as Alex got up to fetch a towel to clean us off, a small part of me—a part I was trying desperately to silence—still wondered what Matt was doing, if he was thinking of me, if he'd ever call again.

I pushed the thought away, focusing instead on the man in front of me, the one who was here, the one who was present. The one who drew hearts on my belly and made me laugh and looked at me like I hung the moon.

Maybe this was what moving on looked like. Maybe this was what I deserved all along.