The New Rule: (The Casual Rule 2) (18 page)

“I do, Mom.”

“As long as he knows that… no matter what, he’ll get through. You love him?”

“Yes,” I answer simply.

“That’s all he needs. That’s the only thing he needs.” She hugs me tight then leans back, her arms still wrapped around me and smiles. “You’ll both be fine.”

“I hope so.”

She laughs. “Baby girl, you have no worries when it comes to the way that young man feels about you. Just ride the wave, JuJu. Just ride the wave.”

A hand unexpectedly rests on my shoulder, startling me. “For you.” Ben holds out a toasted marshmallow on a long wooden skewer.

“Oh, I love toasted marshmallows!”

“I heard. Your brothers told me you’re a marshmallow fiend.”

I laugh. “I was. Mine always went up in flames. I burned them to a blackened crisp all the time. Yours is perfect.”

“Like you.” He kisses my cheek sweetly. “Rose, would you like one?” he asks my mom.

“I’m good, thank you,” she says with a smile.

“You’re so whipped!” my brother Dominic yells out to Ben.

Ben laughs and shakes his head. “I’m going back to the fire for more abuse from your brothers.” He walks back to the fire pit with the men and children.

I peel the toasted outer layer off the marshmallow and devour it. Damn, this is good. I look up, and my mom is smiling at me.

“What?” I ask, wide-eyed.

“Nothing,” she says casually.

“Come on, Mom. What are you thinking?”

“I think you may have found your perfect wave.”

Chapter 9

The night ended with the men downing several shots of Jim Beam around the fire pit. Fortunately, my family is very strict when it comes to designated drivers. In-laws stay sober so everyone goes home safely. I had a feeling my brothers would suck Ben back into their adolescent world. There was no way in hell I was going to drive that huge SUV-tank back to Manhattan, so we packed to stay the night.

Adhering to my parents’ rule of no unmarried couples sleeping in the same bed, Ben is sleeping in my brother’s old bedroom and I’m in my old room.

“Good night. I’ll set Ben up in the boys’ room,” I tell my parents. My mother has her hands full with my father who is currently feeling no pain.

“Goodnight JuJu, Ben,” my mom says. My dad mumbles something unintelligible as they head down the hallway to their bedroom.

I sit on the bed waiting for Ben to come out from the hall bathroom where he’s brushing his teeth. He staggers into the room and stops, staring at me with a playful grin.

“You’re not naked,” he slurs as he shuffles over to the bed.

“You’re very observant.”

“Let’s rectify this situation,” he says, grabbing the hem of my tank top.

“Oh no you don’t, Romeo. You know the rules. No sleeping together in my parents’ house.” I smack his hands away.

“I wasn’t planning on sleeping.” He gives me a lopsided smile and winks.

Drunk Ben is adorable… and really horny.

“I was checking out your ass in that bikini while we were on the beach,” he tells me.

“Oh? Did you like what you saw?”

“I wanted to bite it. I think your sister caught me staring.”

I laugh. “I’m sure she’ll get over it.”

He plunks down next to me on the bed. Sliding his index finger down the top of my shirt, he pulls the fabric of my tank top toward him, shamelessly peeking down my shirt.

“Hello, Julia’s tits. I miss you,” he murmurs mischievously down my shirt.

“You’re very handsy when you’re drunk,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Why don’t you take them out for me and wrap them around my dick. I hear it’s awfully pretty.”

I tilt my head back and laugh. If he doesn’t remember this conversation tomorrow, I’m reminding him. It’s too good to let him live down.

“I think it’s time for you and all your pretty parts to sleep it off.”

He stands, wobbling while he kicks off his shoes and tugs off his shorts, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He walks in front of me in just a T-shirt and his boxer briefs.

“I want a kiss goodnight,” he says.

“That’s good. I was planning on kissing you goodnight.”

He tilts his groin toward me. “Kiss it,” he commands with a crooked grin.

“You can’t be serious.”

“It needs attention. Look.” He juts his chin down toward his groin.

His raging hard-on is staring at me in the face, straining to escape his boxer briefs.

“I’ll kiss it another time. Lie down and get some sleep.”

“Give it a quick peck,” he coaxes.

I sigh. “Will you go to sleep if I do this?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not following it all the way through. You’ll have that hard-on all night,” I warn. Drunk Ben is a stubborn over-sexed perv.

“Don’t care. Kiss it.”

“Fine.” I grab the elastic waistband of his boxer briefs and pull it down slightly. He’s so hard; I barely have to move it before Mr. Happy-To-See-You is staring back at me.

I lean toward him and kiss it, giving him a bonus lick around his tip.

His head leans back and he moans softly.

All the muscles below my waist clench, the familiar butterflies in my stomach fluttering wildly. When he moans like that, it stirs something deep inside me. I want more. But I know we can’t. Not here. I straighten myself up and gaze at him.

There’s a fire in his eyes that I know I’m reflecting back; watching each other, wanting each other, needing each other. I glance at his erection still peeking out of his waistband and lick my lips. I should never have agreed to that, one taste of Ben and I won’t be satisfied until I’ve devoured him.

“You better get some sleep,” I say quietly, fighting my urge to straddle him.

He nods and readjusts himself. I stand and he gets into bed and lies down.

“Lie next to me for a minute before you go,” he says.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“No funny business. I promise.”

“Okay, just one minute.” I lie down next to him, facing him in the tiny twin-sized bed.

“I want to fuck you so hard,” he whispers.

“I’d like that.”

“I want to make you scream out my name,” he murmurs.

“You’re very good at that.”

“I want to feel your nails dig into my back when I’m deep inside you.”

Did someone shut off the air-conditioning? It’s getting fucking hot in here.

I can’t answer him. I’m too busy remembering how to breathe.

“I want to glide my tongue all over your naked body and taste you.” He takes my hand, puts my index finger in his mouth and sucks it, swirling his tongue around it.

“God, Ben. You have to stop. You’re killing me.” My hormones are in a frenzy, nipples hard, between my legs wet, muscles clenched. The whole horny she-bang.

“You do know that I love you, even when I’m fucking you, right?” he asks, concerned.

It’s actually pretty sweet how serious he is. God, I love Drunk Ben.

I smile. “Yes. I know.”

“You’re so beautiful, Julia. I’m a lucky son-of-a-bitch.” His speech is slowing down and he yawns. His eyes are glassy; all the booze and sunshine has finally caught up with him. He’s absolutely irresistible when he’s sleepy.

“I’m going to leave and let you get some sleep.” If I don’t go now, I’ll never leave.

“You are perfect,” he says. Despite the fact that they’re bloodshot, I see the sincerity in his eyes.

“I’m far from perfect,” I say, shaking my head.

“You’re
my
perfect,” he says sleepily. He closes his eyes as he drifts off. I kiss his forehead and slide off the bed. As I’m walking out of the bedroom, I hear Ben turning in bed.

“Julia?”

I turn to face him. “Hmm?”

“I’m glad I’m your boyfriend,” he says softly.

Even half-asleep, he makes it so hard to leave.

“I’m glad too. Goodnight, Ben.”

“Night,” he mumbles, drifting off to sleep.

I lean in the doorway of my brother’s bedroom, watching Ben sleep it off and smile. My family may be ridiculous at times, but you can’t help but feel good after spending time with them. Okay, maybe Ben feels a little too good once they broke out the shot glasses, but he needed this: A day to escape from the pressures of life and laugh for a little while.

~o0o~

After an exhausting long holiday weekend of family time, it’s Monday morning and time to head home. Ben has this remarkable way of waking up refreshed after tying one on. I don’t know how he does it. No bags under his eyes, no ashy color of death, no foul mood.

After breakfast with my parents and loading up the car, we take a quick walk up the street to get one last peek at the ocean before heading back to New York.

The seagulls are flying over us, squawking. They better not
bless
us with any air bombs. Two birds are fighting over a fish on the sand near the shoreline. There are a few early risers jogging along the shore and two kids flying kites with their father. It’s so quiet on the beach now, just the sound of the ocean’s thunderous roar and the birds. Perfect.

“I’m glad we got away for a few days.” He stands behind me, holding me close with his arms wrapped around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder.

“Me too,” I agree.

“I still want to fuck you until you scream my name.”

I chuckle. “You remember that conversation? I thought you’d forget.”

He laughs. “I remember. And I plan to live up to it. But for now, we better get going. I’m hoping we beat traffic by leaving early.”

“Okay. Thank you for this weekend.”

“I could say the same.” He kisses the back of my head then twirls me around until I’m facing him.

I look up at him and smile. He cups my face in his hands and kisses me, slowly, deeply, and so sensually, my knees practically buckle.

He breaks our kiss and gazes warmly into my eyes.

“I love you,” he says tenderly, moving a lock of my hair behind my ear.

“I love you too,” I say, returning his tender gaze.

“Let’s go.” He takes my hand and leads me back to the street where his SUV is parked and waiting.

I rest my head on his shoulder as we walk onto the street. He opens the passenger side door and helps me into the car. Just as he’s about to close the door, I stop him. He tilts his head and frowns.

“Ben?”

“Something wrong? Did you forget something?” he asks.

“No. I just wanted to tell you… I’m glad I’m your girlfriend.”

He smiles, no doubt remembering his words before he passed out last night.

“Me too.”

~o0o~

I arrive back to my apartment after avoiding most of the holiday traffic to find Allie sitting alone on our couch, sipping coffee from a mug.

“Hey,” I say, dragging in my overnight bag. “Look, we have a new pet.” I hold up my stuffed Dalmatian.

She looks back and nods, smiling politely.

“Where’s Vince? I thought you were spending the weekend at his place. You came here instead?”

She shakes her head.

“Did you lose your vocal chords? What’s with the silent treatment?”

She shrugs a shoulder. I get a good look at her face. Her eyes are puffy and her skin’s pale.

“Allie, are you okay?” I ask. I rush over to the couch and sit next to her.

She shrugs a shoulder again and looks down at her lap. I glance over at the coffee table and see a bottle of vodka and a carton of orange juice out.

“That’s not coffee you’re drinking,” I state the obvious.

“Nope.”

“What do we have here?” I ask, pointing to the vodka and orange juice.

“Brunch,” she deadpans.

“Vodka and Orange Juice?” I ask, raising a brow.

“It’s a buffet. Grab a mug and help yourself.”

“It’s not like you to start happy hour this early in the day. What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she whispers, taking a large gulp of her drink.

“Is this about you and Vince?”

She nods, obviously trying to hold in her emotions.

“Did something happen?”

She nods again, her eyes brimming.

“Oh Al, what is it?”

“I told him we should stop seeing each other,” she whispers.

“Why? You both looked so happy.”

“Yeah, well… he fucked everything up. He did something unforgivable.”

“Son-of-a-bitch. That bastard’s been screwing around behind your back?” My eyes widen; I’m instantly taken back to my ex, Mikehole, and the shitty way I was treated. That asshole cheated on her? The first guy she has any real feelings for and he cheats on her.

She shakes her head as tears roll down her cheeks. “No. It’s worse.”

“That stupid fuck. There’s more than one? I’ll kill him.”

She stops crying and looks up at me, perplexed. “He’s not passing around the peen.”

“Oh my God, Allie. Did he hurt you?”

She shakes her head. “No. He would never do that.”

“Then what? I don’t understand. What happened?”

“He blurted out…” She closes her eyes tight and her fingers massage her temple like she’s warding off a migraine. “He told me he loves me. He fucking loves me. Things were going so well. Why did he have to go and do that? Fuck everything up.”

I roll my eyes. Here I am thinking he hit her or was a serial cheater and all he did was love her.

I smack her arm, hard. “Dammit, Allie. You scared the shit out of me. I had all sorts of crazy ideas going on in my head. Did you tell him you love him too?”

“Why the hell would I do something stupid like that?”

I take her hand in mine. “Because you do,” I say quietly.

She pulls her hand away and scowls. “Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t love Vince. I don’t do love. I’m a free spirit.”

“You think you’re giving up your freedom by loving him? Come on, Allie.”

“All that relationship crap holds you back. I don’t want to answer to anyone.”

“Vince would never expect you to
answer
to him. Maybe he loves you
because
you’re a free spirit.”

“Well, I’m not interested.”

“Okay. Have it your way. He’s a great guy… it won’t be hard for him to find someone new,” I say. I stand from the couch and casually stroll into the kitchen, grabbing an empty mug.