Romantic Promises (Alluring Promises Series, #2) (8 page)

“Mmm,” he moaned as he slipped his shirt over his head. Charles always tried to keep in shape, although his stomach wasn’t as taut as it used to be in college, he still had an amazing body. I ran my hand over his hard length and decided to try to feel him. I nervously reached my hand through the slit of his boxers, wanting to graze my lips
over his velvety smooth shaft. He leaned down and slowly pushed me onto my back, kissing me softly.

I knew what he was doing. I admit I’m not the best at giving head. Couple that with the way he’s made fun of the “slushing” sounds I’ve made, he usually stops me from even attempting. Each time he stops me only adds to my self-consciousness about going down on him.

I gave a slight pout and he chuckled as he kissed me again. I became lost in his kiss and before I knew it, he had my panties off and was thrusting himself in me. I was a bit peeved that he went so quickly, not making more of a romantic effort to our lovemaking. He continued to thrust faster and I was just starting to get into it when he let out his final grunt. He exhaled and collapsed on top of me.

I continued to try to move myself so I could find some release, but he chuckled. “Yeah hon, I’m done for. I’m so sorry.” I let out a frustrated sigh and he gave me a kiss on my neck. “I’ll make it up to you next time. We just haven’t been together in so long, I couldn’t wait.” I nodded, understanding him, but still frustrated. He pulled out of me and rolled over onto his back. I inched toward him to snuggle up. “Uhh, baby I’m so hot and sweaty. You don’t want to curl up to me.” I nodded and lay on my back. He never liked to snuggle.

“Your mom called me and left a message.”

I gave a brief laugh. “Was it about coming over on Sunday to discuss wedding dates?” I asked as I looked over at him. I was still lying there with my baby doll top on, no panties and still very frustrated.

“Yep, actually it was.” He rolled onto his side, resting his elbow on the bed to prop up his head with his hand. “You know, I’m on call Sunday, but we could try to meet them. I haven’t seen my parents in a while either.”

I gave him a small smile. “That’s fine, if you want to. I’ll call Mom tomorrow and let her know.” Then I furrowed my brows, “You better not skip out on me. If I have to sit there with them all by myself, I’ll be upset.” I gave him a slight pout.

He smiled and leaned over, giving me a sweet kiss on my pouted mouth. “I won’t do that to you. I love you too much.”

I returned his smile and his kiss. “I love you too.” I sighed. I remembered my discussion with Aubrey earlier about the wedding this weekend. “Hey, I for…”

Beep. Beep. Beep.
I gave another sigh as I heard his beeper go off. He jumped up and grabbed his jeans off the floor, pulling out his cell phone and stood naked to make his call. I stopped listening to his conversations long ago. It was always medical jargon that sounded like a foreign language to me. I used to try to understand it when I was little because of my dad. I would try to look up all the terms so I could have a conversation with him, but he usually dismissed me if I asked a question. Usually he would tousle my hair and tell me not to “worry my pretty little head about it.”

Charles hung up and pulled his undershorts and jeans on, giving me his familiar sorry look. “Sorry hon.” He walked around the bed and kissed my forehead.

“I know. I understand.” I shrugged. He slipped his shirt back on and headed out the door.

I laid back down and thought about finishing myself off, but at this point I was pretty much out of the mood.

I woke the next morning to the smell of coffee. Divine. I grabbed my robe and walked out to the kitchen. Aubrey stood there with tousled hair in workout clothes. She glanced up at me and pinched her brows together.

“Did Charles come over last night?”

I nodded and watched her frown in annoyance. She poured the coffee into her mug as I grabbed a cup from the cabinet and placed it in line for mine. After she filled it, she put the pot back to its place in the coffee maker.

“You’re working out with me this morning,” she announced flatly.

I shook my head in defiance. “Nope. Quit trying to make me workout. I hate it. It’s annoying and….sweaty,” I grimaced.

“Come on. We finally have a place with a gym in it. It’s just an elevator ride down and no one ever uses it.” I rolled my eyes and shook my head again. “Please?”

I sighed. “After my coffee.” Her face lit up with excitement. It’s Aubrey’s dream to turn me into her perfect workout partner. She’s always dragged me to the latest cardio classes, spinning classes or any new trends at the gym. I go unwillingly, just shy of kicking and screaming, but I go. For Aubrey. I usually do wind up feeling really great after, but I’d never admit it to her.

“Did you ask Charles about the wedding?” Aubrey asked after taking a sip of her coffee.

I frowned. “I came so close – both sexually and asking him.” I joked.

“He left you hanging? Again?” I knew she was really talking about sex. Aubrey’s hatred for Charles started with me telling her about our sex life. He’s obviously a little bit selfish in that respect not to mention old-fashioned.

I nodded as I took a sip of my coffee.

Aubrey pointed her finger at me and sternly told me, “Next time, you need to whip out that vibrator I gave you and just start using it. Show him how it’s supposed to be done.”

I almost choked on my coffee and snorted. “He doesn’t know I have one. I think he’d die if he knew.”

“Why? It’s better than having to schedule a visit. B.O.B. will make you come any time you need it,” she teased with a wink.

Aubrey and I went to one of her co-worker’s sex toy party about a year ago. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard nor was embarrassed so much in my entire life. Well, embarrassment was part of the reason we were really there. I never really understood how to give a guy a blow job. Charles made fun of me one time. Well, sort of. He didn’t really make fun of me. He kind of chuckled and pulled me up saying I was “sloshing around down there” and it wasn’t working for him. I’ve never been so mortified in my life. I’ve tried to do it before with a guy in college, but when he pulled my hair too hard I bit down – on him. Yeah, it wasn’t a good night for him.

Anyway, when I told Aubrey how embarrassed I was with Charles, she was determined to help me out with my “problem.” We tried with a banana at a friend’s bachelorette party when we were supposed to shape it into a guy’s penis, but we wound up laughing too hard. Not to mention I felt silly in front of our friends and I didn’t want them to know my problem.

So, when Aubrey’s friend was hosting a sex toy party, she made me come with her. When we got home she gave me my “present” and attempted to free it from its home. I grabbed it and walked away, uncomfortable, and probably not enough alcohol in me to attempt to learn. It’s in my nightstand drawer and I haven’t touched it. I’ve thought about using it the way it’s supposed to be used, but I felt like a sex-starved weirdo.

“Where is it?” Aubrey asked after I made a face to her that I never wanted to use that thing.

“I’m not telling you.” I know her too well. She would make me use it. She slammed her coffee
mug down and started sprinting to my bedroom.
Oh shit.
My coffee almost spilled as I did the same and took off running after her, laughing. “Oh no you don’t!” I called after her.

I reached my bedroom door and she was sifting through the opposite nightstand drawer. I ran over to the other side to get it and Aubrey dove over the bed, scrambling to get to the drawer before me. We almost knocked over my lamp as I pulled the drawer open hastily to find it before she did. I grabbed the box and pulled it to my chest. Aubrey grabbed it from my hands and shrieked, “You never even took him out of his box?” She glared at me and pressed her lips together. “For shame!”
She jeered as we stood there staring at each other, laughing like idiots. 

She grabbed the box from my death grip and started ripping the box open to free “him” of his box. “I can’t believe you haven’t even taken him out. Poor guy.” She teased with a pout. She held the vibrator up in her hand and started gesturing with it, pointing the dildo in my direction. “He
wants
to be used, Vanessa. Unlike Charles,
he
wants it!”

I grabbed the vibrator from her hand and threw it back into my drawer, shaking my head and still laughing. “Fine. I’ll let you know if I ever decide to give him a shot.”

“I bought you the best one. That thing is top of the line. You better promise to practice!” Aubrey chuckled and shook her head.

“Fine,” I replied just to get her off my back.

“Good. Now change into workout clothes. We’re going downstairs to work out all this frustration. All this talk of sex makes me horny,” she informed me.

Trying to dissuade her from another grueling workout I suggested, “You can always call our new neighbor you had last night.”

“No double dipping, remember?” She tossed over her shoulder as she walked out of my room.

After a grueling workout on the StairMaster, followed by some ab-killing workout that Aubrey copied down from a magazine, my day was filled with catching up on some work. I decided to have a relaxing evening and catch up on my reality shows. Aubrey was out on a date, so I had quiet time to myself. I poured some red wine, grabbed the box of chocolates that Aubrey received from some admirer and flopped on our couch.

I had already called my Mom earlier to confirm brunch at the club with Charles and his parents. She was more than thrilled and I was happy to give her something to keep her a little at bay about the wedding.

I started watching my show. One of the women was trying to seduce her boyfriend by giving him a strip tease. It reminded me of Kara Leonard and her previous job. The way the woman on the show was doing it seemed tasteful, almost sweet since it was just for her boyfriend. I started to reconsider my stance on stripping, but just for the bedroom. And just between two people in love. Then I started thinking about sex and contemplated a night with B.O.B.

I walked into my bedroom and pulled it out. I glared at the thing wondering how this could bring me pleasure when it seemed like nothing more than a piece of rubbery plastic. I started thumping it against my palm, giggling to myself that it kind of felt like a heavy cock, but nothing like the real thing. I could never use this. I brought it to my lips wondering if I should practice trying to give a guy head. The taste of the rubber on my tongue was horrid. I giggled again to myself knowing Aubrey would think this was funny.

I decided to just see how far back I could stick it in my mouth. I shoved it to the back and gagged immediately. Then I remembered Aubrey telling me to tilt my head back, so I tried it again. Hmm. Works better. I covered my lips over my teeth so I wouldn’t bite B.O.B. like I did what’s his name. I hallowed out my cheeks and realized I was doing it and I wasn’t making the slurping sounds that Charles complained about. Feeling good about myself, I began to do my happy dance. A song came on from the living room from a commercial on TV and I began to sing into B.O.B., using him like a microphone. I never even heard Aubrey enter my room until I heard her giggling and start clapping her hands.

I spun around as she ran over to me, grabbing B.O.B. and began singing into it with me. The song ended and Aubrey hugged me while we continued to laugh like idiots. “I see you had some useful alone time with B.O.B.”

Smirking, I shrugged. “Yeah, we go way back.”

“You tilted your head back and you get it now, don’t you?” Aubrey pointed out and laughed. I nodded.

“Yep. I’m a master now,” I joked with confidence as I swayed my shoulders. 

We walked out to the living room and Aubrey went to the kitchen, coming back to the couch with some ice cream and two spoons.

“Why are you back so soon?” Not to mention, looking like you didn’t get any action. I wanted to say to her.

“He was a loser. Speed dating doesn’t always work out. Five minutes isn’t enough time, but a dragging, boring hour was too much time.”

I nodded. “See, and you think I’m crazy for not wanting to break up with Charles.”

“I still think you’re crazy. I’d rather go on a boring date than deal with perfectly boring.” She looked at my disappointed face and knocked into me with her shoulder. “You know I didn’t say that to hurt you, but you need to face the truth soon.”

I shrugged and took another scoop of ice cream. She’s right. I just don’t want her to be.

******

I pulled my hair back into a soft gathering at the nape of my neck and wore my silk blue wrap dress for brunch at the country club. I arrived on time and was escorted over to our table by the ma
ître de, noticing as I walked over that Charles was not here yet. I had the sinking feeling he was going to miss another brunch and leave me with
them.

I exchanged pleasantries with everyone and listened to both mothers discuss my wedding while both dads discussed some golf event. The boring conversations, not to mention the snooty ambiance, left me feeling depressed and wanting nothing more than to just eat. I kept quiet, realizing why I hate meeting them and coming here. I excused myself to the restroom.

As I was washing my hands, Ashley walked in. We’ve been friends practically since birth, since our parents have always been members at the club. She’s an attorney now and her parents are so proud of her. I love them even more for that. My mom and her friends think it’s appalling that she has a career and suggested that she was unable to hold onto a man since she isn’t engaged yet.