Ashley Constantine
“Alex?” We reluctantly pulled apart, our breaths coming in short, rapid bursts. My arms were still draped around his neck, his hands tangled in my hair and resting on the curve of my backside. We both turned to see who had interrupted us.
Oh. My. God.
“Drew?” My eyes widened in the dim light, taking in his familiar face. His hair was perfectly styled, the sides freshly trimmed.
Damn, he looked good. No, Alex. He cheated on you, remember? You walked in on him, remember? He was with another girl, remember? He was INSIDE another girl, remember?!
I mentally berated myself for my inability to resist him. His nose was swollen and tinged with a light purple hue, a testament to the punch I’d landed on him, thanks to my brothers’ years of training.
I felt Wes tense beside me, and I knew then and there, things were about to get ugly.
“What the hell are you doing here, Drew?” Wes’s voice was a low growl as he stepped protectively in front of me.
“What are you doing with my girlfriend, Wes?”
I winced at his words, as if I’d just cheated on him. He’d lost the right to call me his girlfriend last night when he’d let another girl ride him.
“Ex-girlfriend, Drew. EX. I dumped you, remember?” I emphasized the ‘ex’ part, hoping it would penetrate his thick skull that he’d been dumped last night.
“Now you don’t have to sneak around to be with another girl,” I spat out from behind Wes. Drew took a step closer, but Wes stood tall, his arm outstretched in a protective gesture.
“Babe, please, let’s talk about this alone. Let me explain everything to you. We can work i—”
Wes cut him off. “Didn’t you hear? She doesn’t want to talk to you. And by the way, you lost the right to call her your girlfriend when your dick was inside another girl, asshole.”
His words visibly struck a nerve in Drew.
Drew lunged at Wes, their foreheads nearly touching, their chests heaving with anger. “What the fuck did you say to me?” Drew growled.
I stood frozen in the corner, the oblivious dancers around us a stark contrast to the tension brewing in our corner. I caught Andy’s eye; she was still dancing with the guy from earlier.
Seeing the panic on my face, she excused herself from her dance partner and rushed over to me, just as Wes and Drew were locked in a tense stare-down.
“I suggest you get the fuck out of my face, Drew!” Wes finally spat out through gritted teeth.
“What’s wrong with— Oh shit!” Andy finally noticed the situation and quickly inserted herself between the two men.
“Andy, don’t get in the middle of it,” Wes warned her, his gaze never leaving Drew’s.
Oh god, I feel sick.
Drew broke eye contact with Wes and met my gaze. My breath hitched at the sudden connection. He tried to maneuver around Wes and Andy, but Wes blocked him.
“Don’t go near her, don’t touch her, don’t even look at her!” Wes warned.
Drew’s eyes were still locked on mine. He mouthed “I’m sorry” at me, and I felt tears prick at my eyes. He turned and walked away.
I was stunned that he’d walked away instead of fighting Wes. I knew Wes would fight for me. He always had, from the first day I met him.
I tilted my head back, trying to keep the tears at bay.
A strong arm snaked around my waist, and a hand gently tilted my head down. Wes.
He cupped my face, his thumb brushing my cheek. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. I’ll take you home. Tonight was too much to ask from you. It was too soon.” I nodded, unable to form any words.
He took my hand. “I told Andy to stay here while I take you home. She said she’ll check up on you soon. I can stay over if you want? It’s not a problem.”
He was too kind.
“Can you stay? I just don’t want to be alone right now.” He replied instantly, “Of course, sweetheart,” pulling me closer and kissing the top of my head.
We made it back to my apartment, Wes’s hands on my hips guiding me. As soon as we reached my room, he kissed my shoulder.
I turned to him and gave a shy smile, which he returned. I reached for the jersey that Delilah Carter had sent me, the one I slept in every night.
I heard Wes chuckle behind me. When I turned around, he was shirtless, his abs more defined than I remembered. I blushed at the thought of him sleeping next to me. Shit!
“Did Knox send you that?” His voice snapped me out of my daze. I looked down at the shirt in my hand and back up at him.
“Uhm, no, Delilah sent me this.” My response made him laugh out loud, his hand brushing against his abs, my eyes following the movement.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest in a failed attempt to look mad.
Still laughing, he replied, “Nothing, never mind.” I was too tired to press him further.
“I’m going to change in here,” I said, gesturing towards the bathroom. He simply nodded in response. Once inside, I kicked off my torturous heels and gave my aching feet a much-needed rub.
I scrubbed the makeup off my face and applied some cream. I really need to put cream on my feet too, I thought to myself.
As I rummaged through the cabinets, I stripped off my dress and unhooked my bra, replacing them with a loose shirt. It was boxy, hiding my figure, and hung down to about mid-thigh.
Suddenly, I remembered that the foot cream I needed was on my bedside table. Andy had given it back to me earlier. Double shit!
I opened the bathroom door and spotted the cream right where I remembered, sitting near the corner of the table. I grabbed it and sat down on the bed, knees up, ready to apply it when I heard a sigh to my right.
Wes was only wearing his boxers. Lord, give me strength. I glanced at him and found him staring at my legs. “You know, you have a serious obsession with my legs, Wes. They’re not even that great.”
He laughed, shaking his head, and lifted his gaze to meet mine. He was leaning against the headboard. “Are you wearing that to bed?”
“Yes, why?” I asked, pumping some cream onto my hands and massaging it into my feet. He groaned out loud, and I snapped my head back to him. His gaze was fixed on the ceiling.
“Why do you like torturing me? You’re really not helping my little friends downstairs,” he said. I blushed, but he didn’t notice because he was still looking up.
I started to get up. “I’ll put some pants on then if you’re uncomf—” I was cut off as he wrapped an arm around my torso, pulling me back down to the bed.
“Don’t you dare, Al!” he said, his smile evident in his voice. I giggled at his reply.
He lay with his face in my neck, and I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling. “What are you thinking about?” he whispered.
After a few minutes and a deep sigh, I managed to choke out, “Change.”
“Like the coins in your pocket?” he asked, grinning against my skin.
I burst out laughing, and he joined in, though I had a feeling he was laughing more at my reaction than his own joke.
“Yes, Wes, like the coins in my pocket!” I said sarcastically, slapping his shoulder. He looked up at me, and we locked eyes for a few seconds.
We really shouldn’t be doing this, I thought to myself. I looked away, back to the ceiling. I couldn’t look at him and not be tempted. He rested his arm across my stomach and pulled me closer to him.
“Do you regret it?” he asked, knowing exactly what he meant.
I took a deep breath before responding, “No, I don’t. Do you?”
“Being with you was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, Alex. But it has to stay between us. Kyle would literally kill me,” he said seriously. I nodded in agreement.
“I’m tired. Do you mind if we sleep now? I could really use the rest.”
He reached over me to turn off the bedside lamp. His face hovered over mine. “Who’s teasing now?” I smirked at him. He grinned back at me. My phone buzzed, and we both looked over at it resting on the table.
Wes let out a deep sigh, and I tore my eyes away from my phone to look back at him. His face was still close to mine.
His eyes trailed down my face until they reached my lips. He moved his hand from the light switch to the side of my face. “Can I have a goodnight kiss?” His deep, husky voice sent a tingle through my lips.
I should have said no. It wasn’t a good idea. But I nodded anyway. With my permission, his lips barely brushed against mine.
“I’m glad I’m here tonight with you, Alex. I miss this,” he said softly, pressing his lips onto mine. It was an intimate, innocent kiss. It started with pecks, then the kisses became longer, leaving me wanting more.
His tongue teased my bottom lip, asking for permission. I opened my mouth to allow him in. Our tongues met, and the kisses became more passionate.
Before we knew it, we were making out heavily, just like at the party. His hand traced down my side until it reached the hem of my shirt. He rubbed it between his fingers, as if debating whether to go further.
My free hand cupped the back of his neck, my fingers running through his short black hair. His fingers trailed up the outside of my leg until they reached my panties, hooking his thumb in them.
He stopped himself from pulling them down and slid his hand down the back of my leg, slightly squeezing my butt.
“Fuck,” he groaned, pulling back to stop things from going further. “We should sleep, Alex,” he said breathlessly, reaching across me once again to turn off the light.
He kissed me once more and turned off the light. We settled into our positions until we were comfortable.
My back to his chest, I could feel his breath on the back of my neck and his heavy arm draped across my waist for protection. It was comforting to know he was there for me.
“This reminds me how much I’ve missed this, Alex,” he whispered into my hair.
“I’ve missed it too, Wes.”
“Goodnight, beautiful. See you in the morning,” he said, kissing the back of my head.
Who knew Wes would be the romantic type? No, no, no, Alex! You can’t let this happen. Calm yourself down and sleep for tonight.
I let my eyes fall, and I slept like a baby that night, thanks to Wes’s comforting presence.
I was roused from sleep by the insistent vibration of my phone on the bedside table. Wes tightened his arm around me, groaning in protest as if urging me to ignore the interruption.
I reached for my phone, squinting at the caller ID. Mom. Just great. What could this be about?