Jagged Harts, page 19
I twist my face in displeasure at that. At least I wasn’t the only one that she was avoiding. Did something more than the whole feelings talk happen during that weekend away? More questions flood my mind, and I can’t stop them from spilling out.
“Did you guys sleep together?”
“No,” she says urgently.
Thank God.
“But,” she starts. Oh fuck. “I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. We did kiss and fool around a little bit. It stopped quickly and it will never happen again, obviously. He is great but he is just not the guy for me.”
My anger flares at her words. Just imagining Cole kissing her, touching her, has me ready to drive to his place and beat the living shit out of him. Motherfucker putting hands on my woman. Fuck no.
Doing my best to calm my temper I blow out a rough breath. I fucked up too. Aubrey didn’t do anything that I haven’t in attempt to avoid my feelings for her. I have no right to be pissed. I still am, though.
Steering the conversation to safer topic, I look into her eyes as I speak.
“So, are we doing this?”
“I’m in,” she says with a nod and a smile.
I don’t wait one more second. I dive in, grabbing her face in my hands and pulling her lips to meet mine. The instant they touch, a small jolt of electricity hits my lips and I pause only for a moment at the reaction. I slowly move my mouth across hers, tasting every inch of her. I nip her lip and she parts slightly for me. I delve my tongue in and slowly tangle mine with hers.
Fucking finally.
My hands bury into her soft hair, and I tilt her head up slightly to grant me more access. As I am exploring every inch of her mouth, she wraps her arms around my shoulders and brings me into her until we are chest to chest, her hands dig into me like she is holding on for dear life.
Suddenly, she pulls her mouth away from mine before she moves away all together. I open my eyes to see her kneeling in front of me, her hooded eyes practically sparkling under the moonlight. Before I can say anything, her hands go to my belt as she quickly undoes it. Oh fuck.
Her smooth hand wraps around my rock-hard cock before she pulls me out of my boxers. She makes a noise in the back of her throat when she looks down at it and I can’t help but smirk. Not to sound like a douche but that is usually the reaction I get. Aubrey looks up at me once more, slowly licking her lips before she lowers her head down and covers my tip with her mouth.
I groan into the night sky as I rest my hand on the back of her head. She bobs up and down, running her tongue over the sides before she sucks on the tip. Shit, yes. I can’t help but push her head down a little farther to take me deeper. Most girls can’t take me all the way which is fine because getting your dick sucked in any capacity feels fucking great.
I should have known that Aubrey would be the exception, though. She blows out a deep breath through her nose before she shoves my cock so far down her throat that I see stars. Holy fuck. I’m pretty sure the tip of my cock just touched her stomach. My hips involuntarily buck against her. I wait for her to gag and push me back, but she only takes me deeper. Fuck, this woman is perfect.
Aubrey starts doing this swirling motion with her tongue that has my eyes rolling in the back of my head. Weaving my fingers through her silky hair, I tighten my grip on her before I begin to fuck the shit out of her mouth. She takes everything I have to give, relaxing her throat as she reaches up and starts massaging my balls. Fuckkk. My pace quickens as she begins swallowing around my cock. The restriction of her tightening throat has me shooting my cum down the back of her throat.
She takes every drop, sucking me dry until I am fucking drained. Slowly moving off me, she releases my head with a pop before she gives me a look like the cat who got the cream.
Fitting.
I reach down and grab her head, crushing my lips against hers, loving the fact that I can taste myself against her tongue. Fuck. This woman will be the death of me, I swear to God. She is amazing and infuriating and beautiful and stubborn as fuck and finally mine.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
AUBREY
Monday morning, I am sitting in the cafeteria at a table off to the side still thinking about that night with Dax because damn. In the car and by the lake were both two of the hottest experiences of my life. I love getting off, who doesn’t? But I also love giving pleasure. There is something so powerful about having a man weak and vulnerable. It is almost a rush to control when they will find their own pleasure, to put it off until you want it to happen. Maybe I am just a megalomaniac, though. Either way, it was hot as fucking hell.
We eventually went back to the car and Dax drove me back to campus, dropping me off at my door and leaving after a couple more scorching kisses. Things with Dax are so much more than I ever thought they could be. Where kisses with Cole were nice and sweet, with Dax it is like coming up for air for the first time.
I texted Cole this morning and asked him to meet me for lunch. This isn’t something that could have been discussed over the phone, but I know we have to talk since last time we did he really did most of the talking. I am super fucking nervous to have this uncomfortable conversation again, but I don’t think that he heard me last time and now that Dax and I are officially giving this thing a shot, I need to be transparent.
My feelings for Cole are real. I really care about him and next to Kayla, he is the best friend that I have ever had. But what I have with Dax is so much more than I know it could ever be with Cole. At the end of the day, I know without a doubt that Cole is not the man for me, and it isn’t fair for him to sit around waiting for me with false hope.
“Hey, darlin’,” Cole says smiling as he comes around to sit next to me.
He boldly tries to drop a kiss to my lips as he does, and I turn my head at the last second so that it lands on my cheek. Yep. He definitely didn’t get the message last time. His smile slips but only for a second before he fixes it. Though unease now fills his eyes.
“I think that I didn’t express my feelings with you properly last time we talked,” I say.
I work my throat for more to come out but find that the words keep getting stuck. I don’t want to lose my best friend.
“Okay?” He quickly prompts as if his nerves want whatever words I am about to say out there as soon as possible.
“We are friends, Cole, and that is all we will ever be. We aren’t a good match, it’s for the best.”
He immediately shakes his head.
“No. You didn’t even take any time to think about it. It’s only been like a week! You haven’t even given me a chance to prove to you how great we would be together.”
“Cole…I-”
“No, Aubrey, look at me.” He demands.
I keep my eyes fixed on the food in front of me that is suddenly completely unappealing.
“Aubrey,” he snaps.
I glance up quickly at the sudden harshness of his tone. His eyes are darting back and forth, racing all over my face. The panicked look tells me that he is trying to figure out how to hold on to me. I don’t know how to tell him that he never really had me, not like that.
“I really care about you, Cole. I do.” I start. “You are my best friend but that is all that will ever be between us. I think in time you will see that. In time you will find someone who you feel so much for that your feelings for me will pale in comparison.”
His eyes close at that for a moment as if letting the words wash over him. He doesn’t accept it though, shaking his head more furiously this time.
“He isn’t the best choice for you, you agreed. He is going to hurt you!”
I don’t have to ask who Cole is talking about. Apparently he is still stuck on the idea that it is only Dax keeping me from being with him.
“You can’t know that-” I begin but he cuts me off, grabbing my hands pleadingly.
“I can,” he quickly says. “I also know that he will never be able to love you like I do, never be able to give you the life you deserve. Aubrey, when I took you home you stepped into my family like you always belonged there, right by my side. I was in love with you before we went home. But after that, I knew you were it for me.”
His words break me, and I hope he knows how much it hurts me to do this. It’s my own fucking fault. I let this go on for way too long and I have no one to blame but the bitch in the mirror. I squeeze his hand sympathetically.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, down casting my eyes once more.
After a few tense seconds, I peek up to see that his face has crumbled. He looks crest fallen and his eyes shimmer with unshed tears. All I want to do is wrap him up and take away his pain, but I know I can’t. Resignation strikes across his face as he looks down at our intertwined hands.
“Choose me,” he whispers so softly that I can barely hear him. After the words are out, he looks more confident as he meets my eyes and raises his voice slightly. “Choose me, Aubrey.”
I swallow deeply and give him a subtle headshake. “You deserve to be more than someone’s second choice. You deserve to be someone’s everything, to be the air that they breathe and the heart that keeps them going,” I say, trying to keep my voice soft to ease the blow of my words.
“I’d be your hundredth choice if it meant in the end that you were mine,” he says as his voice starts to quake “You are all that for me, Aubrey. You are everything.”
I slip my hands out of his grip and move one onto his shoulder, trying to provide more comfort but also trying to show that he can’t change my mind on this.
“I’m sorry, Cole.”
Like a flick of a switch, his eyes harden, and he shrugs my hand away. He digs his fingers into his disheveled brown hair and tugs for a moment before dropping his hands into his lap.
“You are making a huge mistake.”
His voice comes out rough and condemning. All I can offer him is a small shrug and a deepening frown. He slams his hand on the table so hard that it makes me jump.
“Un-fucking-believable!” He shouts. “He is going to break your heart, remember that. When he does, remember that I never would have done that.”
Cole pushes away from his seat as he rushes out of the cafeteria, slamming into the doors as he goes. Now that I am sitting here alone, I can feel the unshed tears burning and begging to be released. I close my eyes and fight them back. The knot in my stomach twists tighter as I realize the best friend that I ever had just walked out of my life, and I don’t think I will ever get him back.
I make my way out of my last class of the day when I see Dax standing right outside, one leg crossed over the other and a cocky smirk on his face. His eyes light up when he spots me, and I smile back as I make my way over to him.
“Hey beautiful,” he says before leaning down and giving me a soft peck.
He pulls back and smiles at me sweetly while tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Hi,” I breathe out.
It’s then that I look around and notice the whole hallway has practically come to a standstill around us. I shoot a few of the onlookers scathing glares before I turn back to Dax.
“Looks like we will be the talk of the town by the end of the day.”
Dax’s eyes sparkle with mirth as he continues to stare at me, not giving the people around us the time of day.
“Well, let’s give them a show then.”
He grabs me by the waist and dips me back, enveloping me in a deep passionate kiss that is just as mind blowing as our first. When he brings me back upright, he tosses his arm around my shoulder and starts ushering me towards my dorm.
I smile up at him before looking in front of us to see that the same redhead that I’ve seen hanging all over Dax at The White Oak and the clay banks, I think I heard her name was Julie. Her eyes are aimed straight at me and if looks could kill I would already be burned at the stake. I am not going to waste my time on some petty chick though, so I break our eye contact before leaning up on my toes and kissing Dax on the cheek. I hear a huffed grumble come from behind us as we pass her, but I am too focused on the feeling of being wrapped up by Dax.
Once we get outside my building, he stops and grabs my hands.
“So, I was wondering if you had any plans Saturday night?”
“No, I don’t think so. Why?”
“Well, I want to take my gorgeous girlfriend out on a date,” he replies, warmth flooding my stomach as he gently caresses the back of my hands.
“Girlfriend?” I ask, raising my eyebrow in a challenging look. “You are pretty full of yourself to think that me giving you a shot translates to being your girlfriend,” I tease.
He lets out a soft growl and grips my hips, hauling me into him. His head bends down until our noses brush against each other as his breath fans over my face.
“Make no mistake, Aubrey Davis. When you agreed to giving us a shot you agreed to the whole nine yards. We are doing this thing for real. I have never had a girlfriend before and I will probably fuck some shit up, but I am not going half ass on anything with you. So, be prepared for the full boyfriend package. I am talking dates, romantic gestures, cuddling; the whole shebang.”
“Sleepovers?” I ask, only partly teasing. I could definitely get down with nothing but me Dax and a bed all night.
Dax groans as he pulls me against him even tighter.
“Fuck yes.”
I stand on my tip toes to brush my lips across his.
“We will see how good this date is first,” I wink.
He chuckles bringing one of his hands up to caress my cheek.
“I guess I better bring my A-game then.”
I nod biting my lower lip. His eyes lock in on the movement and he descends pulling my lip from my teeth and sucking it into his own mouth, gently nipping and kissing it as he does. I press my body flush to him and can feel his growing cock, hard against my stomach. At least I know I am not the only one affected. I grind my hips into him, reveling in the friction.
Unfortunately, I hear someone come up next to us and clear their throat. Irritated, I break away to see Kayla standing there with her arms folded and an amused look on her face.
“Well, hey there kids. Please, don’t stop on my account. This is better than porn.”
I snort and shake my head.
“Dax, this is Mckayla.”
She shoves an extended hand in between our bodies for Dax and he moves one of his hands to shake hers, still holding onto me tightly with the other one.
“Nice to meet you. I have seen you around a couple of times. Blake has talked about you too,” Dax says.
Her cheeks pink at the mention of Blake as she tries to swallow a shy smile. That surprises the hell out of me. She is the last girl to get shy about a guy’s attention. She is the girl that would usually bask in the attention, so this reaction has piqued my interest. I’ll definitely be asking about that later. Look at me, wanting to gossip about boys and shit. I’m almost like a normal 19-year-old girl. Almost.
Dax turns back to me.
“I gotta head out. I have to get to the gym. I will call you later,” he says wrapping me up in one more dizzying kiss.
“Alright,” I say as we break apart.
He shoots me a wink and gives a head nod to Kayla before he saunters off towards the parking lot. I turn back to Kayla and see that the teasing look has left her face and I am met with a sad smile. I cock my head in question.
“Can we talk?” She asks.
“Sure,” I say, the confusion evident in my tone.
We make our way up to my room and I settle onto my bed while she stands at the end, staring at me for a minute like she is choosing her words carefully.
“Why didn’t you tell me that something was going on with you and Cole? Or you and Dax? We are supposed to be best friends. I have tried over and over to get you to open up, but you always shut down. So, I tried giving you your space hoping that you would offer up the information willingly and you never do.” Her face is curious like she is confused, but the hurt is clear in her eyes and a stab of guilt runs through me.
“There wasn’t anything going on with Cole and me, not really at least.”
“That’s not what he says,” she snaps back. “I ran in to him during lunch. He was storming out of the cafeteria and looked really upset. I took him aside and asked him if everything was okay. Obviously, it wasn’t. He said you two were practically together and then you showed up this morning telling him that you chose Dax over him. Mind you, the same Dax that publicly shamed you in front of everyone, the same one with an out-of-control temper and a player reputation.”
The guilt that I briefly felt slips away at Kayla’s brash and demanding tone. I jump up from my bed to stand in front of her.
“Hey, that’s bullshit. Cole and I were never together. He wanted to be, and I told him that I couldn’t. Then he told me to take time and sort out my feelings. I did, and because they don’t align with his that makes me the bad guy? And who the fuck are you to judge Dax. You don’t even know him!”
She scoffs and rolls her eyes.
“Please, I know enough.”
“Aren’t you the one who thought I was crazy for not wanting to hook up with him?” I throw back.
“Yeah, Aubrey, to hook up not date. I thought you were smarter than falling for the same crap that he has used on hundreds of girls before you.”
“That isn’t who he is, not with me. He is different. I am not just some girl to him, we care about each other,” I say, the anger fading from my voice and vulnerability taking over.
“Well how the hell am I supposed to know any of that when you won’t fucking talk to me!” She shouts.
It’s the first time that I have ever heard Kayla swear and it stuns me into silence. She shakes her head like I am a lost cause and grabs her purse from my desk.
“Whatever it doesn’t matter what I say, you have clearly made up your mind. Don’t come crying to me when he breaks your heart. Yeah, not if, when.”
