And Then It Happened: An Unexpected Romance (9 page)

Ugh. Jane, we really need to work on your sexting.

I know. I’m not really good at it.

Exactly, which is why we’ll make this a nightly ritual until I’m satisfied.

I slammed my phone onto the pillow and eyed the drawer my vibrator lay in. I would have pulled it out, but I had a feeling Adrian was listening through the walls. So I kept it safely where it was as my phone beeped.

“I’m not answering it,” I said to myself.

Yes, you are. Yes, you are…

So how often do you masturbate?

His question had me pushing the covers off me. Why was it so hot in here?

I don’t ever masturbate.

Liar. You were with Craig for eight years. That’s eight years of terrible sex. I can’t imagine you haven’t masturbated in all that time.

Well, I haven’t.

Come on, Jane. You can be honest with me. I won’t judge.

I glanced over at the wall.
You tell me how often you do it first.

Oh I do it all the time. At least once a day. Now your turn.

Once a day? Wow.

Jane…

Fine. Probably once or twice a week. Depending on how I feel.

Finger or vibrator?

I really don’t want to answer that.

I heard Adrian knock on our adjoining wall. “Come on, Jane. Stop being so ridiculous.”

“Just leave me alone. It’s late.”

“Then go to bed.”

“Stop texting me,” I shouted.

I heard his chuckle next door. “Fine. Goodnight, Jane.”

“Goodnight,” I replied loudly. Turning off my light and snuggling under the covers.

But right after I closed my eyes, my phone beeped once more.

Come on. I have to know. It’s the finger isn’t it?

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face.

Yes. Happy now?

Yes :):)

Chapter Six

The knock on my door had me bounding down the stairs in nothing more than an extra long tank top and black panties. I glanced through the peephole and sighed heavily despite the flutter in my chest. It was a Saturday night and I was planning on spending a quiet evening alone (something that was unexpectedly rare as of late now that Adrian was in my life) while I read in bed. I had wanted to watch a movie, but Adrian had ruined historical romances for me at the moment. And I was exhausted from not sleeping well the night before.

Don’t complain. You love texting with Adrian. It makes you come alive.

I cracked open the door and peeked out. Amazingly, seeing Adrian after last night wasn’t as awkward as I thought it’d be.

“Yeah?” I grumbled, hoping my tone would propel him back home. All it did was move him forward into my house.

“Seriously?” I said, not sure if I should run for cover or just let him eye my bare legs.

I opted for letting him have his fill. I was too lazy to search for something to cover me up so I just stood there while his eyes slid up and down my body. It’s not like he hadn’t seen it all before.

“You done?” I asked, glaring at him.

“Nice,” he said appreciatively.

I folded my arms across my chest. “Why are you here?”

His eyes met mine and he shook his head slightly. “I’m taking you out.”

“What?”

“I’m taking you out,” he said slowly. “You need to get out.”

“Why?”

“Because you rarely go out now that you don’t have a job.”

“I don’t want to go out,” I said as he took a few steps closer to me.

“No, you’re coming out with me and my friends. Who knows, you may even meet someone.”

“Adrian, I don’t want to. Look at me…” I began, waving my hands at my underdressed figure.

“What? I don’t see anything wrong with what you’re wearing.”

“I’m wearing a tank top that barely covers my ass. I’m on my way to bed, not out.”

Adrian smirked, his eyes sliding toward my butt. “Most women wear shit like
this to the grocery store. If you were to leave right now, no one would blink twice at your outfit. You’d actually fit right in with the general public. This is actually how you should be dressing. Now come on,” he said, grabbing a hold of my hand and pulling me upstairs. I tripped along behind him as he added, “I’m going to pick out what you wear so you don’t look like the middle aged woman you are.”

I pu
shed him playfully. “I’m twenty-six. If anyone is middle aged it’s you.”

His eyebrows rose. “I’m only a few years older than you.”

“What? Thirty?”

“No, I’m twenty-
nine.”

“Twenty-nine. That’s close enough.”

Adrian glanced at the ceiling before striding over to me. His hand skimmed my thigh and I jerked back even as goose bumps shot up my leg.

“What are you doing?” I nearly yelped.

“Making sure you shaved.”

“Jesus, you’re such a pig.”

“You may also want to think about a bikini wax too. No guy wants to go down on a girl and have a mouthful of hair…”

I lunged forward and slapped my hand across his mouth, cutting off his comment.

“Don’t. Don’t say it. You’re way too vulgar.”

I could feel him smiling against the palm of my hand and I fought the urge to reciprocate the gesture.

Instead I stared at him, leaning in slightly.

“I do wax, and it’s Brazilian,” I said softly, causing Adrian’s eyebrows to shoot up as I removed my hand from his mouth.

He stared at me for a moment as he cleared his throat before he turned toward my closet.

“Alright now that we cleared that up let’s get to work on an outfit. I can’t have you meeting my friends like…”

“Like what?” I asked slowly.

“Like you just got done shopping at Goodwill.”

“Just so you know, I’ve never shopped at Goodwill and I don’t need help with an outfit,” I muttered, earning a glare from Adrian.

“Trust me
. you do. Sweatshirts and paint stained pants don’t cut it. No guy wants to date a feminist no matter how hot she is.”

“I’m not a feminist. I’m an artist.”

“Well, you dress like one. You might as well cut your hair and call yourself Kris.”

“Fine pick out something and I’ll wear it,” I said quickly, only realizing I’d committed to going with Adrian after it slipped from my lips.

His eyes widened as he realized my mistake. “You’ll wear anything I pick out? No questions?”

“No questions.”

“No backing out?”

“No backing out,” I muttered, hating that my night in just ended up being a night out with people I didn’t know. I was socially awkward around my friends. Imagine me out with people I didn’t know. I was a bundle of weirdness.

“And will you be somewhat pleasant? No biting my friend’s heads off?”

“No biting,” I said grumpily.

Adrian’s lips twitched.

“Just pick out my damn outfit,” I demanded, not wanting to hear the comment I knew was coming.

I pushed him into my closet, but heard it anyway.

“You can bite me anytime…”

***

I strode into The Continental Room beside Adrian feeling suddenly self-conscious. I was wearing a tight black lace dress that stopped mid-thigh and my favorite pair of high-heeled shoes. I looked more hooker than artist and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

No, you do like it. You like how Adrian’s been eyeing you all evening.

“Stop pulling your dress down,” he said as he placed a hand on my lower back, pushing me forward.

I glanced in the full-length mirror that ran along the entrance of the bar and flushed deeply.

“How come I couldn’t wear something like this on my date with Rob, but now, suddenly it’s okay?”

“Because Rob was a dick and I didn’t want you giving him the wrong impression. You’re with me tonight.”

“And that makes it different?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a shrug. “You’re safe with me. Just stop worrying. You look hot. I like your hair down by the way,” he said, whispering into my ear. I couldn’t help but shiver at the feeling of his breath moving across my skin and when I glanced up, I saw a few women glance away jealously.

Yeah, bitches. He’s mine.

I cleared my throat, glancing up at him. His dark eyes were watching
mine before they slid to my lips. I licked them nervously.

“Adrian, if you keep this up, you’ll be going home alone tonight.”

His eyebrows met in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean it looks like you’re here with me. A few of the women here are looking pretty jealous.”

“I
am
here with you,” he replied, glancing away before I could comment further.

Damn straight he is!

“There are the guys,” he said, pushing me gently forward. I couldn’t do anything but follow his lead until I was standing in front of a table of three remarkably attractive guys. Although, what did I expect? Adrian was gorgeous. His friends would be too.

The conversation suddenly stopped as we approached, all eyes on me.

“Hey guys,” Adrian said with a wide smile.

A chorus of hellos greeted us, each of the guys looking surprised I was even present. It seemed like Adrian hadn’t told his friends I was coming. Great. Just great. Now I was the intruder.

Adrian’s hand lightly rubbed my lower back as I gave a lame wave to the guys huddled around the table.

“This is Marcus, my younger brother,” Adrian said, as I shook the hand of a young guy who had the same beautiful eyes as Adrian and the same chiseled features.

“This is Chris,” he continued and I shook the hand of a dark brown haired guy, who looked like a hipster with glasses and skinny jeans.

“And this is August,” he said as I shook the hand of an auburn haired guy with tattoos on his arms and up his neck.

“Nice to meet you,” I said before adding, “I’m Jane.”

Chris leaned forward, looking confused as he pushed his dark framed glasses up his nose. “I’m sorry…you’re…”

“I’m Jane,” I said loudly.

“Oh. Oooooh,” Marcus said as August’s eyes widened. I didn’t know why his friends had the same reaction as his older brother Gabe. I logically assumed Adrian had been talking shit about me since they all seemed surprised to see me. Perhaps they didn’t think we’d ever hang out. Maybe they thought we weren’t even friends. Things were getting weirder by the minute.

“So this is Jane?” Marcus asked, amusement flickering through his eyes.

“Holy. Shit,” August said as the two of us took a seat.

“Why ‘holy shit’?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Calm down guys,” Adrian muttered, looking flustered for the first time since I met him. I glanced between him and his friends.

“What’s going on?” I whispered and Adrian shook his head.

“Nothing. They’re just fuck-tards and aren’t used to meeting beautiful women.”

“No,” August said, “Adrian’s never ever and I mean
never ever
brought a girl to meet us.”

“Shut up,” Adrian grumbled as my eyes widened.

“Oh well, we’re just friends,” I clarified.

“Right,” Chris drawled as everyone watched me. I felt myself go hot under their scrutiny.

“Stop looking at her like that,” Adrian said, coming to my defense. “She won’t ever come back if you keep gawking at her.”

“Hard not to, man. She’s different, not your normal type.”

“Yeah, she looks…normal,” August said.

My heart leapt. I was rarely ever called normal and it was nice.

“And you broke one of your rules by bringing her here,” Marcus chimed in.

“Rule? You have rules?” I asked, amused. “Tell me what these rules are. I have to know.”

Adrian glowered at his friends. “If I would have known you guys were going to give me shit for bringing a
friend
here I wouldn’t have done it.”

Ignoring him, Marcus explained, “He has a bunch of rules. And might I add that he’s had these rules since he was in college…”

“After that disaster in college with…what was her name again?” August asked.

“Clara,” Chris replied.

“That’s right. Creepy Clara who stalked you for months,” August said with a chuckle. “She was pretty fucked up over you.”

As the guys bantered over Clara, I made a mental note to ask Adrian more about this girl and what happened between the two of them to make him create all these so called rules. But for the moment I’d let it go. I needed to know
what these rules were.

After a few minutes of Adrian swearing and the guys laughing, Marcus leaned forward and said to me, “Anyway, the first rule is never, ever let a girl sleep over because once a girl sleeps over she thinks it means relationship.”

“But there are girls leaving your house in the morning,” I said to Adrian, confused.

“Yes, but,” Chris began with a shake of his head, “if your fucking, you’re not sleeping.”

“Wow, which is why it’s always so noisy over there,” I said with a smile.

“It’s been quiet lately though,” Adrian said seriously. “Haven’t you noticed?”

I furrowed my brow. “Of course, but I have a feeling it’s because you’re over your life of easy women and lonely mornings. You’re ready to grow up and be a big boy.”

Adrian glowered at me as his friends watched our interaction in silence. Feeling suddenly insecure at my comment and how it could be misconstrued, I turned toward Marcus to take the focus off me. “What is the second rule?”

“Never buy gifts,” he replied.

“And why is that?” I asked, looking at Adrian.

He shrugged as August explained, “Because that means commitment.”

“Or break up. And Adrian likes to avoid confrontation when possible.”

I nodded in understanding as Marcus listed off the third rule. “And never ever introduce them to family or friends.”

“And never cook for them!” Marcus shouted.

“And always use a condom,” Chris added.

“And never ever use missionary style when fucking,” August said with a shit-eating grin.

“And why is that?” I asked with a laugh, enjoying his friends more and more.

“Because that says ‘I love you’,” August said.

“Oh and never, ever kiss unless you’re actively having sex because that means...”

“…a relationship,” all the guys roared collectively.

“Oh my god,” I said with a groan. “Where did you come up with these things?”

Adrian was scowling at his friends and didn’t look at me when he replied, “It was to save girls from getting hurt. Those are my rules to begin with so they know where I stand.”