The Best Friend Bargain
But now that I’m with Skye—
Fuck, I’m really with Skye.
“You really think I’ll like it?” Her voice is shy. Timid. Not at all like her.
Or maybe she’s finally showing me that side of her.
I like it.
Don’t get me wrong. I love that Skye is a sassy, confident, badass. But I also love that she’ll let her guard down, show me where she hurts, admit she’s embarrassed.
Fuck, the flush in her cheeks—
It’s everything.
“You won’t hate it,” I say.
Her laugh is nervous. “Quite the recommendation.”
“If you don’t want to—”
“No, I do. But, uh—” She motions to the remote. “I want the power to turn it off.”
“If you’re too overcome with desire?” I tease.
“Of course.”
“And you have to jump me right away.”
“Since when do you say ‘jump me.’ Is it 2005 again?”
“Princess, I live in 2005.”
This time, her laugh is big. Hearty. “True.” She shifts into my lap. Runs her fingers through my hair. “You just need the emo bangs.”
“Exactly.”
“You’d look cute with long bangs.”
“I’ll consider that.” I look up at her. Stare into her gorgeous blue eyes. Fuck, this is a perfect view. Why stop to look at anything else?
“Hey.” She smiles at me.
“Hey.” I smile back.
It’s sweet. Innocent even. Like we’re kids about to kiss for the first time.
It feels like the first time with her. It’s been so long. Forever.
But my body knows hers. My lips know hers. There’s something instinctual about it.
I bring my hand to the back of her head and I pull her into a slow, deep kiss.
Her lips part.
My tongue slides between them.
I claim her mouth. Like I’m claiming her. I want to. I do—
But I can’t.
She deserves everything. All the love in the world.
If I can’t give that to her—
It’s a problem for another day. For once, I’m not drowning in my inability to mend my broken heart.
I’ve got a knockout in my lap and she’s promising to watch a dirty video with me.
Maybe she’ll make one later.
Maybe she’ll fuck herself for my viewing pleasure.
Fuck, I’d watch that all day, every day, for the rest of my life.
She pulls back with a groan. “Can we go right now?”
Fuck yeah. “We can. But I want to make you wait.”
She makes a show of pouting. “Pure. Evil.” She taps my chest. Slips out of my lap. Onto the couch cushion next to mine. “You should know something, Forest.”
“Oh yeah?”
“If you make me wait, I might… who knows what will happen?”
“You won’t fuck me?”
“It’s possible.”
“I’ll take that risk.” I can’t help but smile. She’s bluffing, but she’s not good at it.
Skye bites her lip. She knows she’s caught, but she doesn’t let on. She just shrugs. “Okay, well—”
“Well?”
She clears her throat. “I’ll give it a chance. But only because it means so much to you.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I know.” She pulls her legs under her. Smooths her dress. Places the remote on the couch cushion.
Her eyes meet mine for a second. Then they’re on the remote.
She presses play. Looks to the screen.
The actors meet in front of the bed. A built white guy in a suit and a curvy white woman in a cocktail dress.
She whispers something about how it’s been forever.
He nods. Promises he misses her. Needs her.
She undoes his tie. Unbuttons his shirt.
He spins her. Unzips her dress. Peels it off her shoulders.
Skye’s fingers curl into her skirt. She pinches the fabric between her thumb and index finger.
Her eyes go wide.
Her lips part with a sigh.
I know that sigh. It’s the sigh she makes when she takes her first sip of matcha latte.
She wants more. Needs more. Needs everything.
For a second, I consider calling her on it. Teasing her about her interest. Making her admit she likes it.
I swallow the impulse.
I don’t want to say anything to stop her.
I don’t want to do anything but watch her.
Skye shifts to her other side.
Her fingers tug at her dress.
Her heels tap together—she’s wearing her heeled combat boots on the couch.
Fuck, I love those boots. I need her wearing them when she comes.
She stares as the actors strip to nothing, climb onto the bed, roll around the sheets.
Her gaze shifts to me.
She watches me watch her for a moment. “You’re not—”
“I am.”
“You should—” She motions to the screen.
“Watching something better.”
Her cheeks blush. She bites her lip. Turns back to the screen.
This is it. Where things get, well, pornographic. Where I might lose her.
Skye looks at sexy half-naked people all the time—lingerie ads, perfume ads, actors in foreign films.
It’s easy enough to write this off as typical eroticism.
But this—
Her eyes go wide as the male actor flips over the female actor. He arranges their bodies so they’re facing the camera from the side. So we can see all the action.
Slowly, he pushes into her.
Quick close-ups. The penetration. His hands on her hips. Her hands curling into the sheets.
Surprise spreading over her face.