Operation Foreplay (29 page)

“Where are you going?”

“I figured you two haven’t had time to catch up properly. No big deal. I can see you tomorrow or something.”

“Um, you can put your purse down and have pizza with us,” Sarah chimed in as she grabbed the strap of my handbag and tossed it on the couch. “You two hang, I’m gonna take a shower while we’re waiting for the delivery guy. He should be here any minute, I ordered a while ago. Money’s on the counter. And Jared”—Sarah turned to him—“
I
am paying this time. Got it?”

“Got it.” He saluted her as she skipped down the hall.

“Well, this is weird,” I said when we were finally alone.

“Weird?” He opened and closed cabinets, looking for plates. I reached around him, opened the correct one, and stepped back. “Thanks.”

“Yeah.” I uncorked the bottle of wine Jared had picked up on our way over and poured myself a glass. “I don’t know. You’re here and I’ll be, well,
there
. You know. Without you, I guess. Weird. I got used to you.” I hopped up on the stool and looked away. I refused to make eye contact for fear of tears spilling down my face.

I rolled my eyes at my ridiculousness. “But at least I don’t have to clean up your dirty underwear off the bathroom floor anymore.”

It was official.

Jared Myers held my lady balls in his hands.

He took my glass from me and drank deeply. “I thought you liked picking up my dirty underwear.” Positioning himself in front of me, he continued, “You know, it’s not like we won’t see each other again. And it isn’t like we are in the type of relationship where we live in fear of the dreaded breakup.”

“True. And I guess maybe
not
seeing each other every minute might make it easier to last—”

“Eleven days.”

He handed my glass back to me. “Eleven. Saying it doesn’t make the time pass any faster, huh?”

“Nope.” I smiled.

“Good thing I can imagine what you look like naked anytime I want.”

“Good thing I can actually remember what you look like naked.” I winked and handed him his own glass of wine.

“See, that’s not fair. We still haven’t remedied that situation.”

“How about this? I’ll send you pictures. A photo a day until—”

“Until I can see for myself.”

“Right. And you can send me pictures.” I giggled.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“It is.” We clinked glasses and I winked.

He refilled my wineglass and said, “Sexy phone pics.”

“And sexting,” I added.

“Most definitely sexting.”

“So how will I know you won’t take care of business when you aren’t under my watchful eye?” I teased.

Raising his eyebrows, he asked, “You don’t trust me to keep my dick hands-free?”

“I don’t think trust is the thing in question, to be honest. I mean you aren’t the least bit worried I’m going to cave and take care of business?”

“You wouldn’t.” He sounded sure.

“How do you know?”

“You’re too curious to see what it will be like after denying yourself for so long.”

“That’s an awfully bold statement.” I pretended to be insulted.

“Am I wrong?”

I looked down at my feet. “No.”

“But to make you feel better”—he held up his pinky—“why don’t we pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise?”

“You can’t break a pinky promise.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“I guess you can’t.” I locked my pinky around his. “I pinky promise I will not pleasure myself.”

“Ditto.” He smiled and kissed me hard on the mouth. The doorbell rang before I could react.

“Perfect timing!” Sarah walked out in her pajamas, drying her hair with a towel. “What’s going on?” She settled onto the stool next to me and poured herself a glass of wine.

“Nothing much. Just discussing how awesome finally having my apartment to myself again will be. I can’t wait to stretch out on my bed with no one to steal the covers.”

“I thought Jared was sleeping on the couch? You guys were doing the no-sex thing.” The resemblance between Sarah and he brother when she raised her eyebrows over her wineglass was uncanny. And it took me back to the time she and I made out back in college. She was a good kisser, though Jared’s lips were tastier. I shook it off.

“He was, he did. And we are.” Stammering did not help the situation.

“Mel’s talking about the time we watched a movie and I fell asleep on her bed. And before you ask, no, nothing happened.” Jared set two pizza boxes on the counter.

“I wouldn’t think so. Melody’s panties are all in a bunch over the fact that the two of you are holding out on each other in some sort of test of wills. Bunch of weirdos.” She shook her head, grabbed a slice of mushroom, and moaned as she chewed. “I love mushroom pizza. I never ordered it when Caroline lived here, with her crazy mushroom allergy. I swear, I could bathe in it now.”

As Sarah concentrated on her slice, Jared handed me a plate with two slices of mushroom, then bit into a piece overflowing with sausage, peppers, and extra cheese. Looking from his to mine, I thought my tiny mushroom slices looked pitiful, so I did what anyone would do. I reached up and grabbed his slice out of his hand. I savored the mouthgasm that followed the entirely too large bite I took. I knew I had cheese stuck to my chin and sauce dripping down the corners of my mouth but I didn’t care. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw Sarah staring at me open mouthed and Jared stifling a laugh.

“What?” I asked as I took the napkin Jared handed me.

“Real fucking ladylike.” Jared laughed.

I batted my lashes and asked, “What do you mean?” I took another bite and rolled my eyes in ecstasy, moaning before I said, “This is the best pizza I have ever had.”

“You’ve sworn off sex. Anything you eat now will be the most delicious,” Sarah said matter-of-factly enough that I nearly choked on a gob of cheese. She smacked me on the back, a little harder than I thought she should have, while Jared uncapped a water bottle.

“You okay?” he asked once I was finally able to speak.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“No one likes a spitter, Mel.” Sarah laughed.

“That’s what her dad said!” Jared laughed.

“Wait, what?”

“You had to be there.” I laughed.

“You two are meant for each other, for real.”

Jared rubbed his sister on the top of her head before heading to the bathroom. As soon as the door clicked closed, Sarah pounced.

“So what exactly is going on? Are you two really dating? And you’re not bang buddies? Is he just a fling? Because I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I want you flinging my brother.”

“I am not
flinging
your brother, first of all. Second of all, calm down.” I leaned back and checked the hall to make sure Jared wasn’t listening in. “Look, I really like your brother. Like, really like him. I hate the fact that I am not going to wake up next to him tomorrow—”

“But you said—”

“Yeah, yeah. We aren’t fucking if that’s what you are thinking.”

“Um, gross but okay.”

“You asked. I love being with him. I love being around him. I want to get to know him better. And I am terrified if I open myself up I’ll get stomped on. Just like Zac stomped on me.”

“Let me stop you right there.” Sarah held up her hand and lowered her voice but it was no less critical. “Zac did not stomp on you. You did not
love
Zac. You loved Zac’s dick and the orgasms it gave you. Do not compare your feelings for my brother to those you had for a married man who fucked you senseless every now and then. Jared is a good guy and you would be lucky to have him.”

I think my eyes may have bugged out of my head momentarily. I closed them tight just to make sure one didn’t go rogue across the floor. “Slow down. That isn’t what I meant.”

“You don’t really have a great track record, Mel. Don’t hurt him. As much as I love you, he’s my brother.”

“Gotcha.” I snapped my fingers and stood, knowing Sarah was in a mood and at the rate she was drinking wine, it was bound to go sour faster than usual. “Well, it’s getting late. I’m going to go.”

I pulled my purse on my shoulder as Jared walked back in the room carrying a bottle of shampoo. “I think I stole your shampoo.” He laughed and looked up. “Where are you going?”

“I’m just going to get out of here. I have an early morning. Your first day is tomorrow, plus we have to go look at locations tomorrow night, right?”

“You okay?” He looked from his sister to me.

“I’m fine. Great, actually. I get to sleep in my big bed all by myself, after all.” I felt how awkward my smile was. “Look”—I walked over and kissed him on the cheek—“you hang here with your sister. You two haven’t spent much time together. I’ll call you before I go to bed.”

He placed his hand over mine, leaned in, and asked, “You sure everything is okay?”

“Everything is perfect. I’ll call you.”

I turned to leave. Sarah sat on the stool avoiding eye contact. Jared remembered what was in his hand. “Wait, your shampoo.”

“
Your
shampoo, sweets. I bought one for you and put it in your bag.”

“That’s funny, because I left my White Castle T-shirt on your bed because I know you like to sleep in it.”

His smile quickened my heart and my mouth dried. I kissed him quickly on the mouth and whispered, “Thank you,” before leaving.

As I stood outside the apartment with my hand on the door I heard Jared ask, “What happened, Sarah? What did you say to her?”

I didn’t want to hear my friend’s response, partly because I knew she was only looking out for her brother and partly because she had a point. I had absolutely nothing to compare Jared to. I was in unchartered territory.

Chapter Twenty-Four

M
y key was barely in the door when a text came through.

Jared:
Where’s my pic?

I smiled.

Me:
What pic?

Jared:
Don’t mess with me woman

I dropped my keys on the table, kicked off my shoes, and took off my shirt.

Me:
Oh. You mean the naked pic?

Jared:
Yes

Me:
K. Hold on

I proceeded to snap a half dozen half-naked selfies before I found one decent enough to send. I stared at my phone, waiting for his response.

Jared:
Wtf Mel?

Me:
What?

I knew exactly what.

Jared:
Seen more of you in a bathing suit
.

Me:
Sorry.
Not sorry.

Jared:
Whatever.

I tossed the phone on my bed. While I was brushing my teeth, I heard another text come through.

Jared:
still 11 days

Me:
too many

Jared:
I know. Tired

Me:
go to bed

Jared
: K. Good night

Me:
Good night

*  *  *

I woke up utterly exhausted and curled up on his newly minted side of the bed.

Late-night texting and a naked selfie didn’t make up for the fact that I’d still had to crawl under the covers the night before without him. I didn’t like it one bit. So I grabbed the one thing out of my closet that would improve my mood.

My bright yellow stilettos.

I loved those shoes. They were guaranteed to brighten my mood no matter what the issues. And, with a tiny spring in my step, I made my way to the train station.

“Good morning, Melody.” Manuel, the coffee guy, smiled as he handed me my morning jolt. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to order anything, he always just knew.

“Morning, Manny.
Gracias
.” I replied with the extent of what I’d retained from high school Spanish. Of course, Manny would never hold my shitty pseudo accent against me.

“De nada.”
His smile was genuine.

On the platform, I leaned against a pole and shuffled through my neglected e-mails.

“Good morning.” A voice wrapped around me like a blanket and I straightened up.

“Good morning, yourself.”

Jared stood in front of me in a suit, scruffy beard trimmed and neat. An involuntary shiver made me gasp and him smile. He closed the gap between us and placed his hand on my cheek and kissed me. It was soft. It was quick. And it was enough to stir my lady parts.