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Chapter Twenty-Two

It was after midnight when we finally fell asleep, and now David is jostling me, telling me I’d better get moving. Telling me I’m going to be late for work if I don’t get out of bed. I can hear the alarm sounding, but I am in a mist of sleepiness. I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want to remove myself from David’s arms. I don’t want to see my puffed-up face in the mirror, or the empty box on the table, or the metal pieces scattered across the floor. I just want to lie here.

But David won’t let me. He pulls himself away from me, sits up and climbs out of bed. He walks over to my side and turns me so my legs are hanging off the bed. Then he pulls my arms until I am sitting up.

“Come on, Emma. Let’s go. Get ready, and I’ll take you to work,” he says.

“No. I don’t want to go,” I say as I lie back down.

“You have to,” he says, pulling me back upright.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because if you don’t, then he wins.” Fuck that shit. He’s right. Michael wants me to be wrecked about his little present. And I am. But that doesn’t mean I have to show it.

I stand up and walk to the shower.

I leave the bathroom door open, and a few seconds later, a naked David is standing behind me. Without saying a word, he opens the shampoo bottle and starts washing my hair. I am facing him, and he is watching his hands weave through my hair. Then he tilts my chin up, and the water rinses the bubbles from my hair. David washes my whole body with what I can only describe as kindness. He is careful and slow and tender. I am bewildered. My heart swims with appreciation, and my tired limbs slowly wake with every stroke of the washcloth. His touch is as sensual as ever, but there is no expectation, no innuendo in it. Only care. When he is finished, I offer to do the same for him. But he stops me, telling me I should get out of the shower and get ready for work. And so I do. I get dressed, we eat some breakfast and get into the car.

On the way into town, David mentions that it is Tuesday. His poker night.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to sit in your cubicle with you today,” he says, “but you are coming with me to poker tonight.”

“Really?” I say. “Why?”

“Because I don’t trust him, Emma. And I don’t think you should be alone. Not for now at least.” I am surprised at the resolution in his voice.

“Oh.” It is all I can think to say.

“I’d like to pick you up after work and take you with me. We can grab some dinner on the way,” he says. He pauses for a few seconds, then draws in a big breath before continuing. “But I need you to know that tonight probably isn’t going to be what you expect. I don’t want you to be surprised by that, okay? The whole poker night thing, I mean. It isn’t just a bunch of guys sitting around playing cards, and I need to know that you’ll be cool with whatever is going on. I need to know that whatever happens tonight, you aren’t going to flake out on me.” What the fuck does that mean?

“I’m not sure what to say here, David. I’m not one for flaking out, but depending on what the hell you are talking about, I’m not making any promises.”

“Those fuckers can take things too far sometimes. That’s all I’m saying. And I just want you to be safe. I don’t want you leaving without me or something.”

“Well, since I probably won’t know where we are, or how the hell to get myself home, the chances of me leaving without you are pretty slim.”

He looks over at me from the driver’s seat. “Just promise me you won’t dick around with Brad again, okay? That you won’t give him any more fodder.”

“That I can promise,” I say. “And I’ll keep both my shoes on this time.” David is grinning at me now, and I am smiling back at him. It feels good.

We pull up to my office building a few minutes later. He double-parks and puts on his flashers. Then he tells me to wait. He gets out of the car and walks over to my side, opening my door and helping me out. It is something he hasn’t done before, and I’m wondering why he has chosen to do it now. He closes the door behind me, pulls me against him, and plants a kiss on my lips.

“Bye,” he says. “I’ll see you right here at six. Don’t be late.”

“I won’t be,” I say as he is walking around the back of the car. He opens his door, and without thinking, I add, “What’s with the chivalrous shit all of the sudden?”

He shrugs, and just before getting into the car, he says, “It comes with the girlfriend status.” And with that, his door closes and he drives off.

* * *

The morning passes quickly. The new understanding Matt and I have seems to be working out well. He doesn’t say a word all morning unless I speak first. When I ask a question or make a comment, we have a little back and forth. And then it’s over until I decide to talk again. It’s quite civil. I also discovered that Matt’s witty. I would even say our go-rounds are kind of funny. Entertaining, at least.

At lunchtime, I open my cell phone to discover a text from David.

Hi.

Hi back.

How’s the day?

Good, actually.

Happy to hear. The douche bag there?

Yes.

He keeping his hands off?

Yes. Of course.

Good.

I was wrong about him, though.

Oh?

Turns out, he’s nice.

Nice?

Yes. In a douche bag sort of way.

Oh.

No worries, though. I’m all yours.

Always, I hope.

What?
Did he really just type that? I’m not quite sure how to reply, but a heartbeat later I send the old standby....

:)

A moment passes without a reply, and I think that maybe he’s angry I didn’t say something more. Maybe he’s embarrassed and wants to take it back. Inside I’m freaking out a little, but when his reply comes, I’m relieved that it is a complete change of subject.

I’m nervous about 6:00.

Why?

Just don’t run off, ok?

Jesus, David. U r freaking me out.

Worried what you’ll think.

I can tell you right now what I’ll think.

What?

I’ll think u should take me home early and reinstate my fuck-buddy status.

No going back now, GIRLFRIEND.

Damn.

There’s an equation u aren’t seeing here.

What’s that?

Girlfriend status = indescribable benefits + countless perks.

Beyond this morning’s chivalry?

Well beyond.

I decide not to reply. I want to leave all this hanging between us. It could make for a spectacular evening.

* * *

The rest of the day is uneventful. Matt and I do lots of work on the design and even manage to progress to Phase 2 a few days ahead of schedule. The next thing I know, it is ten to six. I shut down my computer, gather my things and head for the elevator. Today was nice. Today was normal. Today was fun.

I walk out of the building alone, expecting that David may be waiting for me in the courtyard again. But instead, he is standing by his car. It is double-parked in the same spot it was this morning. When he sees me, he opens the passenger door and winks at me. He looks seriously delicious. He’s got bed-head as usual, but he’s cleanly shaved and dressed in jeans and a dark, short-sleeved T-shirt. Great. I’m going to look like a freak going to a poker game in my work clothes.

“Hey,” he says as I toss my bag into the floor of the front seat.

“Hey, yourself,” I reply. Once I am in the car, David closes the door and walks around the front. I watch him run the fingers of his left hand lightly across the hood of the car. His eyes are on me, and the thumb of his other hand scuffs across his lower lip. I see a little nervous smile on his face. Or maybe it’s a wicked one. It’s hard to tell the difference.

He gets in and leans over the console, reaching for my neck. His lips meet mine. It is another one of
those
kisses. The “food poisoning” ones. When he pulls his face away, my eyes stay closed, and I am smiling from ear-to-ear. I must look ridiculous.

“What?” he asks with a little chuckle.

“Nothing,” I say. “I’m just thinking about those indescribable benefits and countless perks.”

He laughs a little and puts the car into gear, pulling out into traffic. Once we are on the highway, headed out of the city, David puts his hand on my knee and looks over at me.

“We have a quick stop to make before we grab some dinner,” he says. “I have to pick something up, and you have to get changed.” Into what? I wonder.

“Don’t be mad, but I brought you some jeans to change into. I didn’t think you’d want to wear your work clothes tonight, and I forgot to tell you to bring something,” he adds. “I just pulled the jeans and a shirt out of your closet. I grabbed your chucks, too.” Oh. “I hope that’s okay.”

“Sure it is,” I say. “Thanks.”

He reaches into his pocket and produces my blue panties with the black lace. The ones I was wearing the first time we fucked. The ones I left hanging over the back of his chair.

“And I brought you these,” he says with a slight smile. “I thought maybe you’d like a fresh pair.” My eyebrows go up as his face glances over at me.

“Hmm,” I say, feeling a bit plucky. “I was thinking that maybe I won’t wear any at all tonight. That way I can guarantee
you
won’t be the one to run off.”

“I won’t run off, Emma. No matter what you are, or aren’t, wearing. That much I know.”

“Good,” I say.

Soon we are pulling into the driveway of a small house. The neighborhood is kind of ramshackle, but the house seems decently well-kept. David tells me this is where some of his poker buddies live and that I can get changed here. He has to grab a few cases of beer from the basement. We walk right in the front door without knocking. It’s open, and the house seems empty. On first sight, it is clear that this is a bachelor pad. There are dishes in the sink, dirty clothes draped over the furniture, shoes piled by the front door, mountain bikes leaning against the wall, and empties scattered around.

David tells me I can go back to one of the bedrooms or the bathroom to get changed if I want to, but there is no guarantee what I might find back there. I tell him that if there’s no one home, I’ll just change here in the living room.

“Suit yourself,” he says as he heads back through the kitchen and down into what I’ll assume is the basement. I open the bag David has packed for me and start to undress. Before I put on my jeans, I decide to switch into the blue panties. I’m flattered that he thought to bring them, and I know I’ll get a small thrill out of teasing him about them all night.

I have one foot into the leg of my jeans when David comes back up the stairs. He is carrying two cases of beer, one stacked on top of the other. His eyes rise and meet mine, and I freeze, bent over my jeans. His eyes are smiling, but the rest of his face is still. He walks over to the kitchen table and puts down the beer.

“Don’t pull them up,” he says. “I want to take them off.”

He is in front of me two seconds later, his hands on my waist, pulling me toward him. His eyes are on mine, and they are full of fire. But he doesn’t kiss me. Instead, he drops down, pulling my jeans and the blue panties off in one swift swoop. He kneels beneath me, looking up at my face. He grips the inside of my thigh and lifts it so my foot is resting on the arm of the sofa. His hands make their way around to my backside, and he forces my crotch into his face. I hear a slow, tense exhale, and then I feel his mouth on me. It is soft and slippery and awe-inspiring. All the feelings of perfection and clarity that I felt lying on the hood of his car under the bridge return and seep into me. Sensation is jackhammering through my body, spreading out from where his mouth is. Out of him and into me.

My hands move quickly to the back of his head, sinking into his hair, goading him on. My hips push forward, meeting his mouth, letting his tongue wash against me over and over. As his fingers enter me, the pins and needles traipsing over my skin sink in hard, biting away every bit of powerlessness that I have ever felt. It is so quick.
He
is so quick. His tongue and fingers incite my body until I am hanging right on the edge of an orgasm. Then, as if this was not enough, David’s other hand slips across my ass, spreading my wetness against my backside. In one smooth, incredible motion, he slips a finger into my behind. It glides in and out of me in syncopation with the movement of his other fingers. His tongue is still lapping against me, and I am groaning like a fucking dog. I can’t help it. I want him to know what he is doing to me. I want him to know how right this is. How close I am. How he is the one making me feel this way. How everything that radiates out of him crashes straight into me. And then I lose it. I come, gripping his head and pulling his hair, and shaking until my body is ready to drop to the floor.

I can feel him smile when his hands pull away. I drop my leg down off the arm of the couch to steady myself, and he clasps my hips to hold me still.

“Holy fuck,” I say.

I look down at him, kneeling beneath me, with his hands on my hips. He looks empowered and excited and hot-as-shit. David takes off his shirt and tosses it on to the floor behind me. Without a word, he pulls me down until I am on my knees in front of him. He turns me around and pushes my shoulders forward, pressing my face into his discarded shirt. He holds me that way—facedown, propped up on my knees, ass in the air—gripping both my wrists behind me. I hear him unzip and feel his fingers slide into me again, this time with more force. He is pushing into me hard, and my body ripples with a now-familiar need. He pulls them out only long enough to rub me in a few slow circles, then they are inside me again, pushing me back upwards.

Before I drop over the edge again, he pulls his hand away and stops. I can hear that he is touching himself now, stroking himself feverishly. The sound is primal. Greedy. Masculine. It makes me want to pull my arms out from his grip, and take him into my mouth. It makes me want to fuck him like a madwoman. His breath drags and stutters. A moment later, I hear him come with a deep sigh, and I feel drops of liquid hit my back. He enters me again, quelling my greed, letting go of my wrists so that he can grab my hips. I bring my arms up under my chest and push my body on to all fours so I can look back at him. So that I can see his face. I am watching him do this to me, and it is sexy as hell.