What If: The Anthology, page 50
“Everly, I’m giving you two seconds to get up and walk out of here before I rip your clothes off and bury myself inside of you.”
His mouth is so close that all I can think of is getting it on me. I suck his lower lip, gently nipping at it before letting go. He needs me to reassure him of my decision. He needs to know that I want him, and I have no problem giving that to him. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Take your shirt off, Ev. Show me that you want this.”
His voice is hypnotic and soothing, making me want to give him what he wants. Without hesitation I sit up, grabbing the hem of my t-shirt, and pull it over my head. His eyes focus on the black lace of my bra, just his look of lust and hunger sends a jolt of electricity through me. He runs a finger over the scalloped edges of my bra before pulling the cups down to expose my breasts to him completely. There’s no time to protest because his mouth is on me almost instantly, sucking on one breast while working the other one with his fingers, tugging and circling my nipples and making me cry out in pleasure.
“Luca, please,” I whimper, not recognizing my own voice. I sound desperate and needy, and at the moment, that’s exactly how I feel. I can’t get him close enough; every touch just leaves me wanting more.
He responds by lifting his torso up and off me, undoing the button on my pants, and tugging them down my legs leaving me in only my underwear. I reach around my back to unfasten the clasp of my bra and shrug it off. I’ve only been this exposed for one other person, and right now, the man standing in front of me blurs all thoughts of him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he says, eyes locked on mine.
I’m breathless now, panting for air as his hands go to the waist of his pants. He has them down his legs and off before I can move, and I barely make out the sound of them hitting the floor. The sight of him takes me aback—his bare chest, broad shoulders, and the beautiful muscles that line his abs. My gaze travels down, and I swear I can feel my heart rate quicken. Luca is beautiful, from head to toe, completely and utterly blessed.
He leans down, placing a kiss on my lips, his hand down my panties causing me to whimper into his mouth. His finger slides through the folds of my wet pussy and my body convulses. The feeling of him caressing me is mind-blowing, almost too much to handle, but I crave it, need more of him, as much as he can give.
“Fuck, baby, you’re so wet for me.”
“Condom,” is all I can manage to get out of my mouth. He reaches over to his nightstand, pulls out a condom, and quickly rolls it on.
“You’re ready?” he asks looking down at me again.
“Yes.”
He pulls my panties down and off in a split second, a gust of cold air hits my naked body before he’s over me again, covering me with his body, and kissing me again.
“Last chance, baby.”
“Please, Luca,” I beg, and he positions himself between my legs, his hard cock at my entrance, making me want him all the more. I jut my hips up to let him know exactly what I want, and thankfully, he’s in the mood to give me exactly what I want. He growls as he slides in, filling me up and making me cry out at the initial shock of him there.
“Fuck, you’re tight,” he strains out.
I feel free, I feel alive, and moments like these are rare in my life as of late. He looks down at me, assessing the situation, and I can feel the tension in his muscles. His need to make sure I’m all right overshadows his need to move. “You okay?”
“Yes,” I reply, on a breath. I relax my muscles, allowing myself to acclimate to his size. I lift my head up to capture his lips with mine, tasting his tongue. I grip his shoulders to urge him to go on. Slowly, he begins to move his hips, and I throw my head back, savoring every single sensation that travels through me. Every thrust is like a conduit, lighting me up, setting me on fire, and making me beg for more.
I lift my legs and one by one wrap them around Luca’s waist, deepening the connection even further. His cock feels impossibly large inside of me, stretching me to the max, enhancing the already intense sensations passing though me. He kisses and suckles at my neck and starts to increase his pace, thrusting his cock harder and faster with every passing moment. I circle my hips, doing my best to meet his movements; I can barely register the sound of my own cries as my pleasure intensifies. I know it’s coming, the buildup of pressure starting in my stomach and shooting out to my nerve endings. He groans in my ear, and I know he’s close.
“Oh fuck, Everly.”
“Harder,” I cry, and he complies, thrusting with a relentless rhythm making me delirious. I feel like I’m breaking apart into a million tiny pieces, and I welcome it. I need him to shatter me in order to make me whole again. Our lips crash together again, tongues tangle, and with one final push of his hips, I’m coming undone, falling down a spiral of bliss so huge I don’t know if I’ll ever recover. Luca collapses on top of me, and I hold tight to him as his release shoots into me. I hear his grunt of pleasure and can feel the pulse of his cock as he comes, leaving me sated and spent.
Luca nuzzles my nose with the tip of his. “Jesus Christ.”
I close my eyes, enjoying the aftershocks of pleasure, and his lips on my mouth, my chin, my neck. I hear him let out a sigh, and I whimper as he slides out of me. He kisses me one last time.
“I’ll be right back.” He moves out of the bed and walks into the bathroom in order to discard the condom. I close my eyes, letting myself relax and not allowing myself even a moment to think about or regret what just happened. A few minutes later, the bed depresses. My eyes flutter open, and I’m looking up at Luca’s beautiful face.
“Open your legs, baby,” he commands softly. My pussy spasms at the sound of his words, but I do as he asks and spread for him. He uses a warm rag to clean me up, tossing it on the floor once he’s done. He climbs back into bed, settles into his pillows, wraps an arm around my waist, and pulls me into his body. I like this, like how it feels to be in his arms and in his bed, so I rest my head on his chest, my arm around his waist and relax into him. I close my eyes, and strangely enough, it doesn’t take long for me to let go and fall into a peaceful dreamless sleep.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The sun is beaming down on me, and I can feel it on my skin through my closed eyelids. Why didn’t I shut the blinds? I’m feeling a little parched, overheated like I’m wrapped up in heavy blankets. I take a minute and open my eyes, looking out the window . . . not my window. I look down on a sharp intake of breath to find that I’m completely naked. I’m about to freak when I feel movement behind me, an arm thrown over then tightening around my waist . . . Luca.
The events of last night come flooding back—our date, us coming back here and making love.
“I know you’re awake, Ev.”
I catch my breath at the sound of his voice then slowly turn around to face him. He looks unreal first thing in the morning—hair tousled, sleepy eyes, and a sexy grin. My heart flutters just looking at him. “Hi,” I whisper.
He smiles at me, sending a rush of warmth right through me. He looks happy that I’m here and that thought makes a little bit of my embarrassment fall away. “Hi.” His lips come down to mine, and he gives me a chaste kiss.
I use his silence as my opening. “Luca.”
He cuts me off with another kiss, this one deeper, hotter. And just like that, I want him again. I open my eyes when he breaks the kiss to find him smiling again. He clearly sees the humor in this situation.
“Babe, whatever’s running through your mind right now, let it go. We had a good time last night, and that’s all that matters.”
“No, I know. It’s just that . . .”
“Just what?” he probes, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I’ve never really done this before, I’ve only been with one other person. I’m not sure what happens now.”
He pushes slightly off me, still hovering but now looking more than inviting.
“You feel something for me, and I know sure as shit that I feel something for you. This wasn’t about just fun, but it also doesn’t have to be so complicated. This was us breaking down a barrier, and now we can explore what’s between us.”
His reply scares me while at the same time making me happy. How do I reconcile the fact that a few months ago I thought I hated this man? And now I’m here occupying his bed and wanting so badly for it to not end. “This is bad.”
“What?” he questions, shaking his head.
“Oh shit.” I’m panicking; so many obstacles stand in the way of Luca and me developing a relationship. He’s my husband’s best friend. I have a husband, and I know that I left him last night and technically I’m free to move on with whoever I want, but I know how people talk and I don’t want to deal with that.
“Everly, don’t go there.”
“But . . .”
“No, we did nothing wrong. You walked away from him, and you ended it. Have you changed your mind?”
“No.”
“Then we’re fine.”
“Luca.” It’s a plea. I need him to untangle the mess in my head, to unravel the ball of knots in my stomach and tell me that everything is going to be all right, that we can get to know each other without worrying about what the potential for disaster is.
“We did nothing wrong,” he says again. He cups my chin with his hand forcing me to look him in the eye. “I want you, you want me; he asked for a divorce, there’s nothing to stand in our way. If I have to, I’ll handle Tyler.”
“Okay,” I breathe out, feeling slightly better.
“Are we good?”
I nod my head, and his forehead drops to mine. His eyes are heated, and his voice is husky as his hand slips down my torso and cups my sex. “We don’t have to figure anything out today.” His fingers find my already swollen clit and start circling. Instinctively, my hand comes up and I hold onto his neck, keeping him connected to me. “All that we need to do today is this. Enjoy what we have right now.”
“Yes.” I sigh, loving the feel of his hands on me.
His lips come down possessively, taking mine in his, and suddenly, I’m all for his plan for the day. In fact, his plan for the day is exactly what I want.
For the next two days, Luc and I are literally inseparable, both of us barely getting out of bed. We are living in a bubble of our own creation, and it’s been amazing. Our bubble burst this morning when Luca was called into work. He’s been doing per diem hours at a local law firm, and he couldn’t say no. I decided to use the free time to go to my house and pack more of my things since I’ve been walking around in nothing but Luca’s t-shirt for the past few days. I pull into the driveway instead of the garage since I’m not planning to stay for more than a few minutes. I barely make it out of the car before I sense someone behind me. I turn to find two men I’ve never seen before standing in my driveway, two huge men.
“Mrs. West?”
“Yes, can I help you?”
“We’re looking for your husband, Mrs. West.”
“He’s not here, and I haven’t seen him in days. Can I give him a message?”
“Yeah, we have a message.”
I never see it coming. His fist connects with my jaw, and I’m down, my head barely misses the concrete as I cry out in pain.
“Wait,” I plead. “Please, I don’t know anything.” I try to get off the ground but one of them pushes me down while the other one kicks me. He shows no mercy as the metal tip of his boot connects with my gut. The pain is so sharp that it radiates through me, like being stabbed with a knife. He kicks me again and again, and I think I may pass out from the pain. I’m not sure how long it goes on, but I’m filled with relief when it finally stops, only to have him pull me up to my knees by my hair. His face is close to mine, not caring that I can see his face, not caring that he’s likely broken a rib. There is no remorse, not on either of their faces, and this is what Tyler has brought to our door.
“Tell your husband to come see us, Mrs. West, because if we have to come back, no one will be able to recognize that pretty little face of yours.” He releases me and I fall to the ground never shedding a tear. I wait until I hear the sound of the car pulling away before struggling to my feet and picking up my purse from where it landed on the grass. I pull out my cell and search for the number hitting send once I’ve found it.
“Hey baby, you okay?”
“Luca, I need your help.”
“Ev? What happened, what’s wrong?”
I quickly recap what happened, and he loses it.
“Motherfucker. I’m going to kill Tyler myself. Get in the house, baby, lock the doors and stay away from any windows. I’m on my way, okay?”
“Okay, should I call Tyler?”
“No. You do not call him, and you do not speak to him if he comes to the house before I get there, you call the cops. I will handle Tyler.”
“Okay, please hurry.”
“I’m leaving now, baby.”
Luca gets here in less than ten minutes; I’ve never been so relieved to see anyone. His anger is so palpable it almost takes on a life of its own, but he places a kiss on my forehead, gathers me into his arms, and carries me out of the house with barely a word spoken.
“Where are we going?” I question after he’s positioned me in the already reclined passenger’s seat and climbed behind the wheel.
“Hospital.”
“Should we have called the cops?”
“Not here, baby. We don’t know if they’re watching the house. We’ll get the cops to come to the hospital to get your statement.”
“We should have stayed in bed,” I tell him, trying to make light of the situation, but he’s having none of it.
“This shit has to end. One way or another, this shit has to end.”
It’s been a week since I was attacked by the men who are after Tyler, a week since anyone has seen or heard from him except for a random text I got while I was in the hospital saying I’m sorry. He’s made no other contact, and I’m scared for him, I truly am, but right now I can only focus on my own recovery, especially since it’s clear that Tyler doesn’t want to be helped.
I’m finally starting to feel a little bit better. My ribs were bruised pretty badly, but thankfully, nothing was broken. Thankfully, I was able to walk away with just a few minor bumps and bruises. The police have been patrolling Luca’s street to make sure that we have at least a little bit of protection, but Luca seems to think that they won’t come after us again. He thinks that they just wanted to send a message to Tyler, but I’m not so sure they’re just going to leave us alone, especially me. My parents were frantic when they heard what was going on, and since I refused to go stay with them, they drop by Luca’s house daily, as do his parents. It was hard for any of them to believe the mess that Tyler has made of things.
The sound of my cell phone ringing startles me. I had just dozed off on the couch moments before while watching a movie with Luca. I reach for the phone not recognizing the number on the display.
“Hello?” I answer, putting the call on speakerphone.
“Everly, where are you?”
“Tyler, where the hell have you been? Everyone is looking for you.”
“I’m okay, This will all be over tomorrow, Ev. I got the money from my dad like you said; I finally went to him and got it. I’m so sorry for what happened to you, I never meant for you to get hurt.”
“I know that, Ty.”
“Where are you? Can I see you?”
“I’m with Luca, and I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Silence
“I see.” His voice cracks but he recovers quickly. “That’s good, Everly, that’s where you should be. He’ll take care of you; promise me that you’ll stay there.”
“I want to help you. You have to let me help you, Tyler, once you pay back the money. You need to see someone.”
“I’m fine, I am, and Luca, he loves you—he always has.”
“I know,” I whisper, unable to hide the sadness I feel for him.
“I’ve really made a mess of things, huh?” he questions, his tone matching my own.
“Don’t say that, you’re sick. I know that, and now I understand that. I want you to get better, Ty, but I can’t be around all of the chaos you’ve created.”
“No, I know it’s for the best. It always should have been this way, he wanted you first and I knew that, I knew that before you and I officially met. I just didn’t care. I wanted you for myself, so I lied to him and I took you.”
“It doesn’t matter now; the only thing that matters now is that you get out of this mess.”
“Tell him I’m sorry, Everly. I’m so sorry. Tell him that no matter what happens, I still love him like a brother.”
“I love you too, man,” Luca chimes in having heard the whole conversation. “Just get better; we can deal with everything else later.”
“Yeah, goodbye.” He hangs up the phone, and I think a part of me knows that I’ll never speak to him again. Luca pulls me up gently, careful not to aggravate my bruises and places me on his lap.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. I’m really scared for him, though. I really do want him to get help.”
“He has to decide that for himself, baby.”
“I know.”
After two days with no further word from Tyler, I finally decide that I need to check on the house and get some of my clothes. I’ll hire movers for the rest of my things once everything with Tyler has settled down. Luca, of course, being the man that he is wouldn’t let me come alone so he demanded that he drive me. We pull into the garage and I let us in the house through the side door.
