Temporary Bliss (12 page)

I hear the front door close and look at my alarm clock. 7 a.m. Thank God Kate will still be home. She can help me process the mind fuck that is going on.

“And who was the boy that just snuck out of our house?” Kate asks with a smirk.

“It was Daniel,” I reply wistfully.

I laugh as Kate spits her coffee out and starts choking.

“Goddammit, Mac. I never thought I’d see the day. You like him, don’t you?”

“I do, but I think he wants more.”

“And you’re stupidly sticking to your ‘no strings’ vibe I take it? Mac, you can’t keep it up forever you know.”

“It works for me.”

“You’re easy.”

“I’m not easy. I’m free spirited.”

“Free spirited with your body.”

“Hey now, no need to get jealous. It’s like having one boyfriend with four different talents. They’re all great at what they do, but there are particular things they excel at,” I say with a wink. Our thoughtless conversation breaks me out of my funk.

Kate giggles at that. I know she means well, but I always feel the need to justify myself to her. She comes from a happy home where her parents are childhood sweethearts who married and had three perfect children. Her two older brothers have good jobs and have just started their own perfect families. She reads sappy romance novels where the knight in shining armor comes along and sweeps the damsel in distress off her feet, fighting off all the demons and living happily ever after. Despite being shown many times that life is far from a fucking fairytale, she still holds on to the hope that she’ll be wined and dined and carried off by her Prince Charming, her Mr. Perfect. I find it endearing, but it is so far from reality for me that I don’t understand it.

“Look, it’s what I like. It’s what I need right now. After Beau, I don’t want anything other than sex. They all know the score, and they’re fine with it.”

I don’t really feel the conviction in my last comment, though. They’re supposed to know the score and be fine with it. But Daniel...I’m not so sure about. He made it clear this morning that he wants to get to know me, wants to continue whatever this is that is going on between us, and definitely staking his claim as the only woman in his bed right now.

“Even Daniel?”

“Well, he doesn’t know yet, but I definitely need to have the talk with him.” And I do. I pride myself with being open and honest, and Daniel deserves to know the truth.

“Mac, I like him. I like the way he looks at you, and Goddamn, I’m definitely liking the way he looks in general. How the hell do you find these hot pieces of Chicago ass? I mean, seriously! Four of them and you’re not sharing?”

I crack up laughing. “Well, Noah is definitely out of favor right now, being Daniel’s college buddy, AND being cocky as hell at the football game. Sean called me the other day, but I blew him off because I was tired, and Zander’s MIA at the moment, probably busy with work or something. So right now it’s only Daniel. And if last night and this morning are anything to go by, I’m happy with that.”

“Well, going by the moaning and screaming I heard coming through my wall, if you don’t want him, I’ll gladly take him off your hands. Holy hell, Mac, it almost had me replacing my batteries.”

“Kate!” I admonish her before we both crash headfirst into a giggle fit.

God, I love this girl. She can handle my freak outs and listen to my screaming orgasms without batting an eyelid. If only I was willing to consider her suggestion more seriously. If only I could talk myself into taking a chance on Daniel.

Could he really be worth breaking my vow for?

After Daniel’s mid-sex monogamous check in, and mulling it over in my head during my whole shift, I’ve decided we need to have that talk. The one where we confess our sexual histories and conquests. It’s not something I’ve had a problem with before.

Noah and I have always been on the same page. If we’re at work, and we’re both single, we hook up. It’s that simple. There are no feelings, no explanations, and total honesty. They are the only rules.

Sean is the same. It has been a year since I met Sean, but with his busy work schedule and frequent trips around the country, it is never going to be a serious monogamous thing even if I was looking for a relationship. Sean is not boyfriend material. We run in two different circles, and he’s a lot older than me. Can you imagine the fit my father would have if I took him home to meet my parents and he opened the door to find my boyfriend was closer to their age than mine? Holy God, I shudder to think how that would go down. They could share stories about their tennis elbow or how they’re ‘not as young as they used to be’.

Then there is Zander. We’re close friends who just happen to hook up now and then. Since that first night where he introduced me to hot public wall sex against Sophie’s house, we seem to have developed a habit of lewd public outings.

Our last ‘adventure’ happened a month ago. Zander was working down town and sent me a text asking if I wanted to meet up. He was doing a private bachelorette party at the Pink Monkey, a swanky new adult entertainment bar. With nothing else planned for a Friday night other than takeout and a Desperate Housewives marathon, I was a sure thing.

I caught a cab to the club, and after getting carded, I walked in and was immediately impressed with the atmosphere. For a high class establishment, they certainly did their homework to make sure it felt warm and welcoming. There was a circular bar in the middle of the large room, with bar stools surrounding it, then sets of booths lining the walls. There were also cool cabanas with sheer curtains surrounding, each one with a different neon muted lighting.

Scanning the room for Zander, I couldn’t find him, so I decided to go to the bar myself and order a drink while he finished up whatever he was doing. Just moments after sending him a text telling him I was there, I felt two muscular arms snake around my waist, making me jump.

“Hey, babe,” he said, kissing the back of my exposed neck. “Damn, you smell good.”

“Zander! You gave me a freaking heart attack!” I exclaimed, turning around to look at the fine specimen in front of me. He was wearing a tight black wife beater with dark denim distressed jeans that molded to his body like they were made just for him. To top off the uuber cool look as only Zander can, he’s wearing a black fedora tilted just enough to look hot as hell. Zander knows I check him out, and often. The instant spark that we had the first night we met is always buzzing between us.

“How’ve you been? You’ve been a bit MIA,” I said, poking his chest and earning a low chuckle from him.

“Yeah, been real busy with work and just been laying low. How about you?” He took the newly vacated seat beside me and signaled the bartender.

“Just working and trying to stay out of trouble,” I said with a sly smile.

“Now why don’t I believe that, Mac? You and trouble go hand in hand, and often.”

“Hey, watch it, mister. But no, nothing spectacular has been happening.”

He reached over and ran his large hand down my jean clad thigh, sending a delicious jolt of heat right to the money spot. “Now that’s a shame, hon. You deserve spectacular things. But I think your luck is about to change,” he said with a grin as he inched his hand back up towards my hip before removing it and paying the bartender who had chosen that moment to arrive with his drink.

I groaned at the loss of contact, shooting him with my best frown. “You’re not playing fair. I might start to think you’re all talk and no action.”

He spluttered as he took a sip of his bourbon. “I’m all action and very little talk. I thought we’d established that.”

“Not lately,” I said with a pout.

“Damn, you’re cute when you do that. Want to find a booth?” he asked, standing up and holding out his hand for me.

“A private room might be more suitable.” I jumped off my seat to stand beside him. With my heels on we’re the same height, and looking straight in his eyes, I can see his mind ticking over at our options.

“Done,” he said before grabbing my hand and pulling me quickly towards a closed door at the side of the club that states “Employees Only.”

“Zan, we can’t go in here. We don’t work here.”

“Tonight I do, so tonight we can and we will. Just trust me, Mac,” he said, pulling me in for a hard and fast kiss. “I’ve forgotten how good you taste. I think I’m going to need a refresher course.” Now I’m flushed, and I can feel my heart beating out of my chest in anticipation.

We walked along a short corridor, then through an open door to a gorgeous room that was lined with burgundy velvet. The cushions were made of black leather and covered in buttons, and the lighting set the mood of the room perfectly, giving it a low red hue. It screamed sex, debauchery, and x-rated beauty. In short, it was perfect.

I followed Zander into the room, before he shut the door behind us, engaging the lock with a loud click.

“I’ve been thinking about you,” he said, pulling his body hard up against my back. He ran his hands down my back, starting at my shoulders and slowly moving them down the side of my chest until they rested on my hips.

“Wanna dance?” he murmured in my ear as my body melted against him.

I looked around and found a stripper pole set to the side of the room.

Spinning around to look at him, I quirked a brow. “You want me to dance for you? You’re the professional,” I added with a wink.

“That I may be, hon, but you...you have raw talent. Just pretend you’re in a bed with me.” He wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me in, tugging on my bottom lip before meshing out lips together as he tangled his tongue around mine.

He pulled back just a little, and I moaned in disappointment. “Naked…” He nipped my lip again before tracing his tongue along it, soothing the slight sting with a delightful mix of pain and pleasure.

“Okay,” I sighed breathlessly. “Although Zan, we’ve never actually made it to a bed.”

And so it was that my first ever pole dancing experience was in that private room of a Chicago strip club. Zander grabbed a remote from a pocket behind the seat and suddenly the room was filled with the sounds of Joe Cocker’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On”. I swiped his fedora from his head and put it on, tilting it forward over my eyes. I was totally feeling the stripper vibe.

By the end of the song, I had twirled and gyrated my way around the pole, finishing with nothing but a smile and his hat. After that performance, Zander reacquainted himself with the way I tasted, and how loud I could be when screaming out his name during a spine-tingling orgasm that left my body limp for a good ten minutes afterwards.

I pull up Daniel’s name on my phone and push the call button. I hear the phone ring twice before he answers.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

“Hi Superman. How’s your day going?”

“Well, it started with a bang, and I’m kind of hoping the night might end with one too?” he asks cheekily.

I crack up laughing. “Subtle much?”

“Hey, what can I say? I’m an optimist,” he chuckles down the phone. How can a man’s laugh be that sexy? It should be illegal, or recorded for future repetitive playback.

“I’m still at work, but I get off in a few hours,” I say, trying to disguise my uncertainty at seeing him again already. Maybe I have my own super power hidden inside my vagina that makes him want to come back for more.

“I’m hoping to get you off in a few hours…”

Shit, did it just get hot in here or what!

“…but that will work out perfectly. I’m just walking to the gym and I won’t be home until after seven anyway. Want to swing by after work? I can grab some takeout or something.”

Well, crap. Now I have a conundrum. We need to talk, and in all honesty I’d love nothing more than a good, hard screwing right now, especially after the day I’ve had. But what if he gets the wrong idea? Wait, do I want him to get the wrong idea? Ah, fuck it. I decide to go with my gut and ignore the melodramatic inner-Mac.

“Sounds good, Superman. I’ll warn you, though, I’ll be in my scrubs and I’ll be in dire need of a shower.”

“Me too. Maybe we can save the planet and save water.”

Sheesh, I’m gonna have to watch myself around this guy. I already know he’s a smooth talker, and with that firm body of his that felt so good last night as I raked my nails down his back and grabbed his tight ass, pushing him in deeper as I….

“Earth to Mac. You still with me, gorgeous?” I hear him say, snapping me out of my awesome day dream.

“Yeah, sorry,” I say hoarsely. “I was just remembering something.”

“Now I really can’t wait to hear what you were just thinking about because you’re voice sounds just the same as when I woke you up this morning with my cock sliding against you, and then just as you were about to…”

“Okay, yes, I may have been thinking about this morning’s activities,” I say quickly, trying to clear my head of these pornographic thoughts. “Enough of this talk, or else I won’t get through the rest of my shift. Text me your address and I’ll try and get there just after seven. Sound okay?”

“Sounds perfect, Mac. And for the record, I love it when you sound flustered. Just makes you even cuter. “

God save me, my panties are wet just from one phone call, and now all I can think about is Daniel making me flustered in person.