The Pickup (Imperfect Love 1)

“Open your mouth,” I demand, and she obeys. I run my cum-covered finger over her lips, painting them a creamy white, then I push my finger inside her mouth. Her tongue darts out and her lips close. She sucks my finger clean, her eyes closing as she lets out a breathy moan. When her eyes open back up, she grants me a mischievous grin.

“How about a shower?” I suggest, and she nods in agreement.

Once we’re both cleaned up, we lay down in her bed. Usually this is the moment when I make up some bullshit excuse as to why I need to leave, but for some reason, I don’t want to go anywhere.

“Tell me about yourself,” I find myself saying.

“What do you want to know?” she asks.

“Tell me something you love.”

“I love art.” Her smile is bright and wide. “What about you? What do you love?”

“Playing football.” The words are out before I can stop them. I expect her to ask me about it, but she doesn’t.

“Tell me something you hate,” she asks instead.

“Playing football.”

She gives me an incredulous look. “Explain.”

And for the first time, I tell Liv something I’ve never told anyone. “I love playing football because I’m good at it. I love the rush I feel when I’m out on the field. The thrill of the plays. What I don’t love about football is everything else.”

“Like?”

“Like the fact that if football didn’t exist, my parents probably wouldn’t know I’m alive.” And now I sound like a whiny little bitch…“Tell me something you hate,” I say, changing the subject.

“Switzerland.”

We both laugh. “Switzerland? What the hell did Switzerland ever do to you?”

“A guy I was dating left me to move there.” She shrugs. “I gave him three years, and he didn’t even give me a second thought as he packed up and left.”

I pull Liv closer and into my arms. “It’s his loss, trust me.” I bring my lips to hers and thank my lucky stars for that dumbass leaving her. His loss is definitely my gain.

* * *

My eyes open slowly, but quickly close when the sunlight shining through the window adds to my fast-growing headache. I groan as my head throbs. It takes me a second to remember where I am and what I did last night—or I should say who I did last night. The sucking, the fucking, the talking for hours, the falling asleep with Liv in my arms. Waking up and needing more of her. Pulling her on top of me, and her riding my cock until we both came. Falling asleep sticky and satiated.

Some would think I’m crazy, but I think I could fall in love with this woman. What started out as lust turned into something more as the night went on. Between the fucking and talking, I found myself craving Liv in a way I haven’t wanted a woman since Fiona left me. And if I’m honest, I don’t even think I ever wanted Fiona like this.

I roll back over, feeling for Liv’s warm body, wanting to hold and touch her. I want to ask her for her phone number. One night wasn’t enough. I need more time. More nights and days. Only there’s no warmth. It’s cold. My eyes dart open, and I glance around until I spot a note on the pillow.

Have a flight to catch. Check-out is 10:00. Thanks for last night. –Liv

My heart constricts as I crumple up the note and throw it onto the floor, suddenly feeling pissed off and used. Why doesn’t it surprise me the one woman I’ve met in the last year I thought might be different, isn’t? Just like everyone else, once I was no longer of use to her, she walked out without even a backward glance, showing me once again people are only in it for what they can take from you.

After I’m dressed and make sure I have everything I came with, I head out. As I’m snagging a cab, Celeste texts me, asking to meet up for breakfast. She moved here after she graduated from high school in hopes of having a career as a model. Using my connections, I was able to get her into a summer internship program with a modeling company, which got her foot in the door. She now makes a more-than decent living and her name is definitely out there. You can find her picture on several billboards throughout the city. She also has her own successful makeup and accessories line and has been on shows like America’s Elite Model as one of the judges. But she’s still not satisfied. She’s always striving for more. She’s one of the most hard-working and determined women I’ve ever known.

When we were younger I thought for sure she would latch on to some rich guy and ride his coat tail, but I was wrong. Celeste is independent and career-focused. Don’t get me wrong, the men she dates are always wealthy, and if it’s possible she’s even more cold and emotionless than she was when she was younger, but since she moved here she’s different. She no longer comes across like she needs a man. Maybe it’s because she has her own money. I don’t know. As close as we are, she doesn’t open up to me about that kind of stuff. She travels a lot for work, but when she’s in town we hang out often.