Off Limits

32. Naked

We talked until she got sleepy and called it a night. I wasn't sure how I felt about my estranged father, but I guess I'm willing to see what he has to say.

When I set my phone down, I chewed my lip and looked at Joey.

"I'm so"—Joey rose from lying back on the bed and pushed me into a tight hug. I sat with my legs crossed, and my arms were dangling to my sides—"fucking proud of you." As soon as he said that, I swung my arms behind his neck and engaged in the hug.

I giggled as he pushed us both back on the bed.

"You'll feel better getting closure," he said.

He pulled away from the hug as I spoke, "What about you? I don't want your parents to keep hurting you."

Joey forced a smile. "I'll be fine, beautiful. My parents are . . . different. Remember when my dad and I were arguing at the ball?" I nodded my head. "He tried to bribe me into marrying someone to merge businesses and bring them more money. He's been trying to get me to marry this damn girl since I turned eighteen. I've been saying no since, and he hates me for it."

I lightly pushed into his shoulder in shock. I thought their parents were terrible, but now? I think they're disgusting. "How can a parent try to force their child to marry someone for business? I didn't even think that shit actually happens. Do they try that with Dylan?" I asked.

"Yeah, but this girl is interested in me for some odd reason."

I cupped my face, hurting for him. He smiled as he said, "Don't worry about me, though. Everything is just money with them. I'm perfectly fine without them. That's why I'm telling you to just talk to your dad." Joey tried making the conversation less tense.

I poked my bottom lip out. "Joey . . . you're such an amazing person."

He slid off the bed and stretched at the edge. "Yeah, yeah. Want to take a shower with me?"

I stood on the bed with a smirk on my face as Joey waited for me to answer. I playfully sat in place until he acted as if he were going without me. I jumped off the bed and met him in the bathroom. I closed the door behind me while Joey adjusted the knobs to his desired temperature.

Within seconds, we were undressed and stepping into the glass shower. The hot water immediately saturated my hair as I stood in front of him.

Joey stood there in full glory, running his hands through my wet hair as I admired his body. Not once did he take his eyes off me, making my body tingle from the inside.

The hot water bounced off his head and dropped down his face as he blinked the droplets away. I pushed his hair away from his face, laughing as our chests touched.

We messed around for a second before I grabbed the Dove bottle to squirt over his body. The cucumber scent clogged my nose as I circled the lotion around his chest, watching it lather into bubbles. I rubbed it into his chest and back before he squeezed shampoo on top of my head.

Joey massaged his fingertips into my hair when I took the bubbles from my hair to his. Next thing you know, we were both battling each other with the cleanser, trying to turn around, but there was nowhere to go. He tried covering my entire body when I lightly slapped soap onto his cheek.

It was a battle of bubbles; they were everywhere. Soap was on our noses, bodies, hair, and beard. I'm surprised it didn't get in our eyes.

After we showered, we both crashed on Joey's bed, still wrapped in towels.

~~

"Bro, those twins want to hang out with us tonight. You down, or what?" Dylan asked his brother.

Joey choked on his words and quickly blinked in my direction. He stroked his fingers through his perfectly groomed beard. "I think I'm good tonight." I couldn't explain how happy it made me hearing his decline. I mean, I had been hoping he wasn't having sex with anyone else. I wished I was enough for his sexual cravings.

Dylan arched his brow towards Joey. "Okay, what the fuck is up with you? You used to bring more women home than I do. Should I be worried?"

Cameron laughed. "I definitely haven't seen anyone in the house in a while. You got a dysfunction or something?" I covered my mouth to laugh under my breath, watching Joey choke, figuring out a reply.

Joey came down from his hysterical laugh. "Fuck both of y'all. Nothing is wrong with me. I've been seeing someone. You don't know her." I kept quiet, acting as if I wasn't paying attention.

"You're actually seeing someone?" Samantha cut in with a dropped jaw.

Joey rolled his neck. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

He sighed. "It's nothing serious. We're just hanging out, I guess. At her place." I focused my vision on the ground, overthinking his reply. I guess he's right; we're just hanging out. And fucking, but that doesn't mean as much to him as it does me.

"I thought I'd never see the day. It's not going to be long until you get tired of her." Dylan added his two cents. I kept telling myself that very same thing but pushed it to the back of my head. I don't know what Joey and I are doing, but it will come to an end soon. He's going to find someone prettier or better, and I'm going to be history.

Joey said, "Fuck you."

I glanced down at my phone, seeing a text notification from Chris:

Chris: I didn't forget about meeting with you, beautiful. Training has been hell, and I haven't had the time for anything but sleep.

I trailed off as my thoughts got the best of me. I didn't know or understand the way I felt because it's so quick and sudden. I didn't want this to happen because I knew the consequences, but I walked right into it. Joey is all I think about from the time I wake up in the morning until I go to sleep. I always wonder if it's the same for him or if I haunt his mind as much as he does mine. I never worried so much about a person and wanted to be that muse to make everything better. As much as I try to fight it, I can't, and it gets harder and harder every time. I thought when people felt sparks when they kissed someone that it was bullshit, but I witnessed it, and now I crave it. But what if it's not the same for him? What if I'm just an easy conquest for the time being?

I could never flat out ask him because I know he doesn't look for anything past sex. But somehow, Joey seems to do everything that makes my heart skip and explode with happiness—something I've never felt. He looks past my flaws and looks at me like I mean something other than hooking up on the sneak side. Not only do we have an incredible sexual connection, but it's more than that. We can hang out and just laugh without touching or insinuating anything sexual.

For someone that's so sex-craved, we don't always have sex.

I'm so confused, and it's bothering me that I don't have any answers to my questions. If I ask him, it could potentially work in my favor or run him away.

"Riley? Riley?" I returned from my daze, hearing my best friend calling my name. When I glanced at everyone, all eyes were on me.

I breathed out. "Yes? I'm sorry . . . I zoned out."

Dylan replied, "We see. You thinking too hard over there, Space Cadet?"

"One of my many flaws." I said under my breath.

Joey replied in a low tone. "I guess we all share the same flaw then."

Cameron: You have a second? I need to ask you something.

My heart dropped.