Her bag and clothes were gone too. My top and pants, which she had been using as pajamas, were sitting neatly folded on the seat of the sofa. I put my hands behind my head, trying to process what the fuck was going on. Things had been going well…I leave for a second and she disappears? I didn’t think there was a woman in the world who was immune to my charms. This chick had to be messing with me.
Angry and frustrated, I downed a glass of scotch and went to bed.
Chapter Nine
It was the third alarm that woke me, the one that told me I was already running late. I rolled over, still reeling from the night before. The night had been unexpected, yet amazing. She had left me wanting more, a feeling that scared the hell out of me and excited me at the same time. Then just like that, she was gone. I just couldn’t let it go. One minute she was into me and the next she had gone. It just didn’t make sense. She was treating me the way I treated everyone else, and I didn’t like that.
Why was it that the first woman I felt a connection with in ages was turning out to be some chick only after a quick fling? I’d been with enough women to know when something just wasn’t right, though usually it was the clingy ‘I’m in love with you’ women who bordered on stalking when I didn’t reciprocate the desire to continue the relationship. Well fuck that, this was exactly why relationships didn’t suit me. There were plenty girls that were more than happy to receive my attention, so I wasn’t about to waste more time on this one.
I threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. Grabbing a towel, I headed for the bathroom. I turned on the hot and cold taps and waited for the water to reach temperature—hot, but not scorching—before stepping under the stream. I soaped up my chest, my hand running down over my cock. All it took was one simple thought back to her rounded breasts, and I was rock hard.
Forgetting Belle was going to be more difficult than I thought. Every time I closed my eyes I was met with the image of her naked body. My fingers closed around the shaft of my cock, and slowly began to ride the length. My other palm rested against the wall, while my fist pumped harder and faster until my fist was covered in my juice. Fuck. I needed to forget her.
For the first time all week I was glad to have the distraction of Luke’s lunch today. This had been planned for weeks, and for weeks I’d been dreading it. I had nothing against Luke or Sally, but I had the sneaking suspicion that they were going to ask me to be a godparent.
I’d be fucked if I was going to let that happen. I didn’t want kids of my own, let alone having to worry about someone else’s. And why the fuck anyone would trust me with their kids, I had no idea. I was sure this was more Luke’s idea than Sally’s, but even so it was stupid. That being said, telling them I didn’t want the job was going to be difficult.
Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a towel and flung it around my shoulders. I walked back into the bedroom and grabbed the pair of jeans and shirt I’d set out to wear. Luke gave no indication of whether this thing was supposed to be casual or formal, so I was going with casual.
I hadn’t met Sally’s parents before. I’d seen them at the wedding, but frankly I’d been too drunk to make much of anything good that night. All I remember is the next morning waking up two bridesmaids in my bed who were apparently Sally’s cousins. That was almost five years ago.
When Luke had told me he was engaged, I’d been shocked to say the least. Who the fuck wants to commit themselves to one woman at the age of twenty? If there was one thing that my parents’ relationship that taught me, it was getting involved wasn’t worth it, not for anyone. And nothing in the past five years had suggested otherwise.
I grabbed my jacket and the nice bottle of red I had taken from my cellar and walked out the door, slamming it shut after me. I threw the wine on the seat next to me and climbed in the car. Luke and Sally lived on the outskirts of town, about a twenty-minute drive from my place. The drive out there was nice, but I didn’t get out there as often as I’d like. Too much to do and Luke was always more than happy to meet me and the guys in the city for a drinking session.
I pulled into the driveway. Luke made a decent wage, as had Sally before she left for maternity leave. It showed in their home. The double story brick house stood on a large property with stunning gardens, and even a tiny little creek. Even I had to admit that this was a great place to raise kids: laid-back suburbia, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Not my idea of paradise.
I made my way towards the door. Rosebushes lined the stone footpath, right up to the porch, where two cane chairs sat, overlooking the gardens. The whole scene was like something out of a gardening show and it made me miss the concrete slab that was my balcony.
Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. The voices inside became louder as footsteps neared the door. Finally, the door opened. Luke stood there, looking casual in jeans and a shirt, his blonde hair messy and his wire rimmed glasses framing his face.
“Hey man,” I said. “Sorry I’m late. I’d blame it on the traffic, but you know that’s bullshit,” I chuckled. I handed him the wine.
Luke laughed and patted me on the back as I walked inside. “Don’t worry, dude, we know you well enough now to never expect you to be on time.”
I rolled my eyes and followed him into the living room. Harsh, but true.
“Hey, Sally,” I said. She looked up from talking to who looked like her mother and smiled at me. I glanced around the cozy room. The fire crackled away in the corner opposite the oversized suede sofa, which looked very inviting. Two recliners sat at either end, scattered with throw cushions. The place was nice: it felt homely and inviting. Much different from the sterile environment I grew up in. White furniture when you have two young boys? Come on, that’s asking for trouble.
“Jack, hi! Long time no see. I’m so glad you could come.” She walked over and hugged me.
“Yeah, there’s no way I’d miss this.” I gestured to her bump. “How’s the baby going? When are you due again?”
Sally smiled, her hand caressing her stomach. “Six more weeks,” she said. I could hear the excitement in her voice. Luke, who stood beside her, was smiling too. Unlike me, he’d been ready to become a father the moment he got engaged. It’s like he was born for this shit.
“Sorry I’m late,” I added, making a face. I felt out of place around all these happy, friendly faces. People who were satisfied with their lives depressed me.
Sally laughed. “It’s fine. Believe it or not, you’re not the last one here. My sister’s late too.”
“Your sister. That’s right.” I thought back to their wedding night. Vague flashbacks shot through my mind of the young girl running around on a sugar high, screaming for more candy.
Sally’s mother smiled at me. “Nice to meet you again, Jack.”
“It’s lovely to meet you again, Mrs. Gale,” I said smoothly, as if we were old friends. I reached forward to shake her hand, her face lighting up as I turned on my charm.
“So what have you been up to, Jack? Are you still working for your father?”
I had forgotten that my father and Sally’s parents knew each other. They ran in the same circles and attended the same functions.