Author: Cassia Leo

“Do you like it?” he asks as he strides across the black wood floors to the sliding glass door that leads out onto a small balcony. He opens the door and a gust of cool air blasts me from ten feet away.

“I love it.”

Following him out onto the balcony, I step aside so he can slide the door closed behind me. Grabbing the top of the waist-high wall, I lean over a little to glimpse the crowds of people scurrying about the courtyard below. Chris comes behind me and I shudder as his warm lips land on the back of my neck. His lips disturb the hairs on my nape and I shiver. He kisses me lightly as his hands glide over my belly then he slowly gathers up the front of my dress.

“Wanna study?” he whispers in my ear as his hand slides into my panties again, instantly finding my spot.

“Yes,” I whisper breathlessly as his fingers caress me slowly and carefully.

His left arm holds me tightly against him so I can feel the solid heat of his erection against me as he slides two fingers inside me. My eyes close and a soft whimper escapes my throat as I lean my head back. He stretches me with his fingers and gathers my wetness before he slides his hand forward again to caress my clit.

“You want me inside of you?”

“Yes,” I reply as the pleasure builds slowly with every stroke of his finger.

He slips his hand out from between my legs and spins me around, crushing his mouth to mine as he pulls my body tightly against him. His fingers crawl over my hips as he gathers my dress up then hooks his thumbs into the waistband of my panties.

He pulls his mouth away and looks me in the eye. “I want all those people down there to hear you scream.”

I sigh as he kisses my neck hungrily. He keeps moving down, taking my panties down with him as he kneels before me. Stepping out of my panties, my body trembles with cold and anticipation.

He looks up at me and smiles and the pulsating ache between my legs becomes unbearable. As he lifts my dress, I grab hold of the wall behind me as he lifts my left leg and slowly removes my heel. Gently, he rests my foot on the top of his thigh and I can’t help but worry that his leg is in pain, though he doesn’t appear to be in any discomfort. He brings his lips to the inside of my knee and I pant as he kisses a trail up the inside of my thigh.

“Chris, are you okay?” I ask as his mouth lands on me and I suck in a sharp breath.

He chuckles and the vibration of his laughter sends chills over every inch of my skin.

“I’m perfect,” he murmurs. “Are you okay, babe?”

“Oh, yes.”

He uses his fingers to gain access to every piece of me, then he licks me like I’m his favorite flavor ice cream. His lips cover my clit, gently sucking as his tongue massages me.

“Oh... my... God. Chris,” I breathe his name as my legs become too weak to support me.

One of my hands clutches desperately to the wall as my other hand grasps a fistful of his hair. He drapes my leg over his shoulder and firmly grasps my ass to hold me steady as he lovingly sucks, kisses, and teases me with his mouth.

Curling into myself, my body twitches as the orgasm rocks me, rendering my muscles completely useless. He kisses my clit tenderly, a soft goodbye, sending one last chill through me as he pulls his mouth away. I wrap my arms around his neck for support as he stands up.

He smiles as he kisses my forehead. “What grade would you give that?”

I take a few deep breaths before I answer. “An A?”

“Not an A-plus?” he says as he hooks his arm around my waist and pulls my body against his. “Guess I’ll have to study harder.”

Even though he has just given me a mind-blowing orgasm, Chris takes his time making love to me in the bedroom. He moves slowly and methodically, letting the pleasure build then easing off. He kisses me tenderly as he glides in and out of me, and with every stroke I feel us becoming closer and closer.

“You’re the love of my life, Claire,” he whispers, his hips slowly grinding into me and sending shockwaves through me every time he hits my core.

He kisses me slowly, and each graze of his tongue relaxes me further. Squeezing my legs around his hips, I lift my pelvis, tightening myself around him as a jolt of pain flashes inside me. The moans that come out of my mouth are high-pitched, matching the rhythm of his thrusts.

“Oh, fuck,” he whispers as he pulls his head back and his arms begin to tremble. His eyes squeeze shut as he comes.

I grab his face and kiss his damp forehead then lick the salt off my lips. Collapsing on top of me, he nuzzles his face into my neck and I chuckle as he bites my skin. The scent of us mingles and leaves me intoxicated as we both attempt to catch our breath.

We lie in silence for a while before he kisses my neck and pushes himself up so he can look me in the eye. “I don’t want you to go.”

“Kind of hard for me to leave when you’re still inside me.”

“No, I’m not talking about tonight. Claire, I want you to live with me.”

I shift my hips a little and he winces. “Sorry.”

He slides out of me slowly then kisses my temple. “Think about it.”

Climbing out of bed, he quickly makes his way toward the bathroom. Even through the dim moonlight shining through his bedroom window, I can just barely see the shadows of the tattoos that decorate his muscular back and arms. He disappears behind the bathroom door and I pull the sheet over me as I turn onto my side. My mind immediately wanders to all the studying I have to do when I get back to the dorm tomorrow. I should text Senia to tell her not to wait up for me. She’s probably out with Isabel at the new sushi-karaoke bar that just happens to have go-go dancers.

Not my scene.

Not that I don’t like getting a little crazy with Senia every once in a while. Most of the time, I’d much rather be reading ahead for a class or listening to music. Or, now that we’re back together, I’d rather be lying in bed with Chris.

Maybe that’s my answer to his question.

Letting out a deep sigh, I turn over in bed just as the bathroom door opens. Chris comes out of bathroom and slides in next to me. I lay my head on his shoulder and drape my arm over his chest.

“My therapist raised his eyebrows when I told him we were back together today.”

He chuckles. “He just wants me all to himself.”

“Actually, I think that’s his way of telling me he approves. He’s kind of cryptic like that. He has a really nice voice, but he doesn’t talk much. Mostly, he just asks questions and raises one eyebrow when he’s skeptical and two when he’s pleased.”

“Did you just say your therapist has a really nice voice?”

I chuckle as I trace my finger over the tattoo on his chest; the tattoo he got for Abby and me. “Don’t worry. You’re the only one I think about when he serenades me.”

“He’d better watch out or I’m gonna have to challenge him to a sing-off.” He grabs my hand and lays a soft kiss on the backs of my fingers then kisses my forehead. “Want me to sing you to sleep?”

“Yes, please.”

He clears his throat then launches into a soft rendition of “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran. Listening to the words, amazed by the sheer amount of emotion he can pack into each note, I have to keep reminding myself to breathe. When he’s done, I kiss him on the cheek and his smile shines through the darkness.

“Goodnight, babe.”

I wrap my leg over his hips and he laughs as I squeeze him like an anaconda. “Goodnight, Christopher.”

Chapter Fourteen

Adam

Yuri’s refrigerator is full of health food. Fruits and vegetables, some I don’t even recognize, are bursting out of all the drawers and stacked on every shelf. He and his girlfriend, Lena, are both surfers, though she doesn’t surf professionally like Yuri. Lena teaches preschool full-time and surfs with Yuri during the NC season. Yuri will be leaving to Brazil soon to surf for three weeks. If I weren’t completely confused about everything going on with Claire, Lindsay, and Kaia, I’d probably be going with him.

Reaching into the far back of the top shelf, I grab an Amstel Light. Getting fucked up to forget the mess you’ve made of your life is not something I recommend, but it’s also the only thing I feel like doing right now.

“You may want to go easy on the beer or you’ll get a gut before the qualifier,” Lena says as I pop off the bottle cap and toss it into the trash bin.

“I don’t even know if I’m going to Australia,” I reply then proceed to chug half the bottle in one shot.

The foam lights up my throat and fills my belly. I let out a huge belch as Yuri enters the kitchen.

“Dude, it’s only ten o’clock. Am I gonna have to confiscate your car keys?”

“What the fuck are you supposed to do when the person you’re in love with is in love with someone else and the person who ripped your heart to shreds needs you more than anyone?”

Yuri and Lena look at each other then slowly turn their heads toward me.

“You have to let her go,” Lena says, and for some reason I get the feeling they’ve already discussed this.

“I know I have to let her go, but I’m fucking miserable. The only thing I’ve got going for me right now is a child that’s not even mine. I know I should cut ties with Lindsay before I get attached to Kaia, but I think it’s too fucking late for that.” I laugh before I down the rest of the beer. “What the fuck is wrong with me? Don’t answer that.”

Lena’s sister Helen enters the kitchen and I quickly toss the empty beer bottle into the plastic blue recycling bin next to the refrigerator. Lena and her get to work arranging some snack trays while Yuri and I grab the last few beers from the fridge and make our way back to the living room where Helen’s husband, Jack, is rolling a joint while his friend, Brendan, packs the bowl on the bong.

I’ve only met Jack once, at Lena’s birthday party last year. Brendan is completely new to me, but they both work at the same accounting firm and like to brag about getting stoned on their lunch break. I haven’t smoked in two months, but the heady fragrance of the medical-grade stuff they’re smoking makes my heart speed up just thinking of inhaling.

Brendan passes me the purple bong and I stare at it for a moment. I’m not with Claire anymore. I don’t have to leave Yuri’s house at all tonight. They’ve already offered me the guest bedroom. I’m thinking tonight is a good night to see the world in a different light.

An hour later I’m stoned out of my mind off three bong rips. Two months is a long tolerance-break.

The warm light shining from the floor lamp across the room keeps splitting into pink and yellow, hexagonal shapes. I close my eyes, but the light penetrates my eyelids and the shapes continue invading my vision. The dubstep music playing from the iPod speakers on my left infiltrates my mind and vibrates inside my skull. Every bass drop and every scratching beat or lingering lyric stirs something inside my chest. I’m so fucked up.

I rise carefully from the sofa and make my way to the restroom. I lock the door behind me and grip the edge of the sink as I stare into the mirror. My skin looks a little gray. I turn on the faucet and splash some water in my face, but I can barely feel it. My face is numb from the beer.

I get a strong urge to peel my long-sleeve T-shirt off, but the vibration of my phone in my pocket stops me. Pulling my phone out of my jeans, I stare at it for a moment. Lindsay is calling me on a Saturday night. This is a first. She usually only needs me during the week for appointments and shit.

I answer the phone and she shrieks my name into my ear. “ADAM!”

“What the fuck?” I mutter.

“Oh, my God! They found him. The police just called me. They found me. I mean, they found him. Oh, my God.”

“What are you talking about? Slow down.”

“Nathan…. Adam, they found Nathan. He’s dead!” She screams the last two words and I feel as if someone has just plunged a knife into my stomach. “He drowned.”