AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, but I know you’re not crazy about hanging out with Tristan. I thought Senia might keep him preoccupied while I make you squirm under the table.”
“Don’t you have something we can eat here?”
“Not unless you want to feast on Capri-Sun for breakfast.”
“So predictable.”
Grabbing her face, I pull her toward me so I can kiss her. Her breath is hot in my mouth as her hand slides down and finds my erection. I suck in a sharp breath as she curls her fingers around me to get a firm grip.
“Is that a yes?” I whisper into her mouth.
She strokes me slowly, which only gets me hotter and more frustrated. Grabbing her by the sides of her waist, I lift her on top of me so she’s straddling my stomach. She sits up and I hold my breath as I take in the beauty of her figure. She’s different, softer than when we were together. Having Abigail changed her inside and out; it made her a woman. A woman who makes me want to be a better man.
I lay my hand on her abdomen and she smiles. “You’re so fucking beautiful. I want to worship this body day and night.”
I trace the tip of my finger over the small scar above her belly button where she used to have a piercing. She got the belly button piercing the same night I got her name tattooed on my right shoulder blade, because she was too afraid to get a tattoo. The piercing ended up coming out accidentally while we were wrestling and she never put it back in.
She grabs my hand and plants a soft kiss on my palm before she pulls my hand against her chest. Her skin is like silk under my fingertips. I grab the back of her neck to pull her lips to mine and kiss her slowly, savoring the taste of her lips and the soft warmth of her breasts against my chest. Her breathing quickens as she grinds against me.
I pull her head back so I can look her in the eye. “I have to tell you something.” I wait a moment for her to get her bearings before I continue. “I got your name covered up.”
At first, she looks confused, then she sits up and tilts her head. “The tattoo of my name? On your back?”
I nod. “Everyone kept telling me to get it covered up. I was really drunk and convinced you’d moved on with someone else.”
She looks heartbroken as she dismounts my stomach and sits cross-legged on the bed next to me. “I know I should have expected this, and you do have that new tattoo on your chest for me and Abigail, but this makes me sad.”
I sit up and turn my back to her so she can see the tattoo that covers her name. It’s a blonde pinup girl in a red bikini. The girl is winking as she sits backwards on a blue motorcycle.
“I kind of hate myself for this,” I say as I turn around to face her. “But I covered your name with one of my favorite memories of you. It was my secret way of not really covering it up at all.”
I think back to the last time I took Claire stargazing on the anniversary of her mother’s death, just one month before we broke up. We rode out on my motorcycle to Poplar Point in Jordan Lake and camped out for the night. The next day, after a long swim in the lake, we found our backpacks, and all our clothes, had been stolen from the campsite. As soon as we got on the bike, Claire in her red bikini and me in my swim trunks, our skin still wet and our bodies pressed against each other…. We had sex right there on top of my bike in the shade of the trees surrounding our campsite.
Claire still looks disappointed. “I don’t like to think about what happened while we were apart.”
“Neither do I. It was the worst year of my life.” I take her hand and kiss her ring finger. “If I could do it over, I never would’ve left. I would’ve proposed to you at Jordan Lake. I would’ve done anything to keep you by my side.”
Sometimes the cost of success is more than we can afford. I can’t afford to lose Claire again.
She looks me in the eye and shakes her head as she smiles. “It’s just a tattoo. Next time, you can get my name tattooed on your forehead.”
“I knew you’d understand.”
I grab her face and lick her forehead.
“Ew!” she squeals and I laugh as I jump off the bed before she can retaliate. A shooting pain slices through my knee as she shrieks, “You’re disgusting!”
“And you love it. Hurry up and get dressed so we can go eat.” She hops off the bed and pushes me. I grab her hand before she can make her way to the bathroom. “I’m not finished with you, so don’t drag out this breakfast.”
She turns around and smiles at me. “I’m going to take my time and you’re going to like it.”
I laugh as I let go of her hand and slap her ass. “Get out of here.”
It takes thirty minutes of convincing to get Senia to go to breakfast with us, but we finally get her into the car and make our way to the pancake house. When we pull into the parking lot, I’m not surprised to see Tristan leaning against his motorcycle. Tristan’s usually late, but he’s acting completely out of character lately with Senia. I asked him if his goal was to fuck her or get her to be his date to Rachel’s wedding and he claimed neither.
“He must be really trying to impress you,” I say as I pull into an empty parking space and kill the engine.
“Hmph. It’s gonna take a lot more than showing up early to a fucking pancake house,” Senia replies as she gets out of the car.
Claire turns to me and smiles. “Don’t encourage this, Chris. I don’t want her to get hurt.”
“I’m not encouraging it. I’ve never seen him act like this. I want to know what he’s up to.”
“So you’re willing to throw Senia under the bus to satisfy your curiosity?”
“I think I have more faith in Senia than you do.”
She rolls her eyes as she gets out of the car and slams the door shut. I get out of the car as quick as my leg will allow and hurry to her side so I can whisper in her ear.
“Senia’s a big girl, but I’ll break him in half if he hurts her. Okay?”
She smiles then grabs my hand. Up ahead, Tristan holds the door open for Senia to enter the restaurant.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he says with a smile and Senia ignores him.
I nod at him as he holds the door open for Claire and me. “Thank you, kind sir.”
“Anything for my Knight in shining armor,” Tristan says as he follows us inside.
“Hey, bitch, I didn’t see you curtsy.”
“You can curtsy on my dick,” he mutters, just low enough for Claire and Senia not to hear.
The hostess seats us in a semi-circular booth and Claire and Senia scoot in first so they’re sandwiched between Tristan and me. We grab our menus and Senia and Claire look at their menu together.
“Why are you looking at that menu? You know what you’re getting,” I say as I slide the plastic menu away from me.
Claire looks up from her menu. “Are you saying I’m predictable?”
“I’m saying I know you and you’re getting a damn waffle.”
She looks at me as if she’s not at all impressed. “Waffles happen to be extremely delicious, Mr. Denver Omelet.”
“Hey, I’ll bet I can guess what you’re ordering,” Tristan says to Senia. “The stuffed French toast.”
She looks up from the menu slowly and turns to Claire. “Do you hear someone talking to me?”
“You heard me loud and clear last night,” Tristan remarks.
Claire looks up from the menu again, but this time she turns to Senia. “What is he talking about?”
Senia finally looks at Tristan and her lip curls up in disgust at the devious grin he’s wearing. They’re keeping secrets from us.
The waitress arrives, providing a nice distraction for Claire’s ire. After we order our food, I grab Claire’s hand and pull her a little closer to me so I can kiss her temple.
“Did you think about what I asked you last night?” I whisper in her ear.
She lays her hand on my thigh as she looks at me. “I did.”
“And? Do you need more time?”
“Chris, I’ve already lived with you… for ma
ny years,” she begins, and I brace myself for the inevitable rejection. “Of course, I want to live with you, but are you sure you want to live with me?”
“Wait a minute,” Senia interjects. “Are you moving out?”
I gaze into Claire’s crystal blue eyes and I swear I feel my soul unravel and settle down inside me. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
Claire smiles as she turns to Senia. “I guess I’m moving out, but not until the end of the semester.”
“That’s eleven days away,” Senia replies. “I have eleven days to find another roomie?”
“I’ll pay your housing for the next semester,” I offer immediately. “Not just Claire’s half. I’ll pay it all.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll pay it,” Tristan says, his eyes locked on Senia, though she’s still refusing to look at him.
Her lips don’t move, but I swear her eyes are smiling. “It’s not the money; my dad will cover Claire’s half.”
Claire looks torn and I can already feel the guilt of leaving her best friend alone working against me. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
Senia lets out a deep sigh before she finally drops the bomb. “I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Sixteen
Claire
My whole body feels numb. Senia’s brown eyes are locked on me, awaiting my response, as Chris’s hand reaches for mine. I push Chris’s hand away as I try to collect my thoughts. I’m not angry or sad. I’m confused.
