The Wanted Short Stories (Wanted 5.5)

“Jeff, I didn’t—”

“I’m tired, Ari. I don’t feel like talking. I just want to go to sleep.”

I knew I was being a douche, but for some reason, I wanted her to know how much she’d hurt me by dancing with that fucker. Tomorrow, I would write him a check for full price on both horses and change out the plane tickets.

The only thing I wanted right now was to be home.

I lay in bed and listened to Jeff’s breathing. He had fallen asleep within minutes of lying down. I closed my eyes and cursed myself for dancing with that dickhead. I knew he had been eyeing me all day, and when Candy had asked Jeff to dance, he would turn her down.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I thought back to when I had seen Jeff sitting in my seat. Candy must have come on to him, and that was why he’d moved. That was when I’d realized how close I was to Pete, and I’d backed away. Jeff had looked at me, and I could see the hurt all over his face. Pete had made a joke, and I’d looked back at him and laughed. I had asked one question about Sweet Dreamer before turning to see that Jeff had left. I had immediately walked off the dance floor and asked Candy where Jeff went. I had never run so fast in my life while wearing heels, but I’d had to get to him before he left. I hadn’t even said good-bye to Pete or Candy.

I needed to do something to make up for what I had done to Jeff. I decided I would think of something in the morning, and I drifted off to sleep.

I rolled over, opened my eyes, and yawned. I reached for Jeff, but all I felt was empty space.

“I’m about to call and change our tickets to go home today.”

I sat up quickly and looked at Jeff. He was standing at the window, looking out over the Ohio River.

“What?” I yelled out.

Jeff turned and looked at me.

I jumped out of bed and grabbed my robe. “I don’t want to go home. We have five days. You said we had five days!” I shouted.

“Hey, Scott, can I call you back? Yeah, I’m meeting him in the lobby in about an hour to pay him. Yeah, by tomorrow, I hope. Let me call you back.”

I placed my hands on my hips. There was no way in hell I was going home early. We hardly ever got alone time. I still had four days left.

“Ari, I think it’s best if we just head home.”

My mouth dropped open. My heart broke in two because he wanted to go home, and then I quickly moved on to being pissed.

“Grow up, Johnson. I made a fucking bad call when I danced with that douche last night. I tried to tell you I was sorry last night, but you wouldn’t even let me talk. You didn’t even give me a chance to say that I’d acted like a child and I was sorry. You just up and decided that we don’t deserve to be alone together. Is that it? So, because I danced with a guy last night, you have decided that you’re going to sulk. Well, I’m sorry, but that is not happening. What happened between us yesterday afternoon was amazing. I haven’t felt like that in a very long time. I forgot what it was like to have passionate hot sex and to do wild and crazy things. I don’t want that to be it. I don’t want to go back to Texas with us not talking to each other because we’re mad. We’ll get home and just bury it all, and then we’ll go back to our everyday life. I don’t want that.”

When I began crying, Jeff took a step toward me, but I stepped back, and he stopped.

“I want us, Jeff. I want to just be with you. I want to spend the next four days laughing, making love, shopping, making love…and maybe more shopping.”

Jeff just stared at me, and a sob escaped my mouth.

“Damn it. You’re not pushing me away because of one stupid, meaningless fucking dance! The only pushing you’re allowed to do is with me up against a wall while you’re fucking me.”

Jeff dropped his cell phone to the floor and quickly walked up to me. He grabbed me and picked me up as I wrapped my legs around him. He slammed his lips to mine, and we began kissing each other like it was our last kiss. He slammed me against the wall and held me up as he tried to unbutton his pants. I moved my hands and helped him push his pants and underwear down. When his erection sprang free, I let out a moan.

I looked into his eyes and whispered, “I need my husband to fuck me—now.”

Jeff gave me his smile that made my heart melt.

He whispered, “I love you, Ari.”

“I love you, too.”

“Now is not the time to be gentle though, baby.”

He pushed open my robe and began sucking on a nipple as I grabbed on to his shoulders. He quickly pushed himself into me and began fucking me hard and fast. It was exactly what we’d both needed. We couldn’t do this kind of thing at home anymore, and to just let go and not try to be quiet was an unbelievable feeling.