Ben
January 1, 2005
*
Same day
*
Oh shit.
I barely manage to catch Kat before she collapses on the table. I pull her into me, enjoying the way her body molds to mine.
If only she wasn't unconscious.
She mumbles something about "not falling anymore" before going completely limp.
"Heyyyyy...?" I try to get the red head's attention. God, I suck at remembering stupid shit, like names and birthdays. "Hey... Uh... Help?"
No response from Nate's attachment. Time to switch tactics. "Nate... A little help here?" I plead.
"What the fuck did you do?" Nate is snapped out of his sex trance when he sees the unconscious body I'm holding.
"Nothing. She was talking about her idiot ex and then passed out." I try not to sound offended that he thinks I did something.
"Oh god... This is all my fault." The redhead begins blubbering like an idiot about what a terrible friend she is and how she loves Kat so much.
I just barely keep from rolling my eyes. Her friend is passed out and she's making it about her. Girls...
"Hey..." Nate pulls Red to him, rubbing her back. "Shhhh... this is not your fault. Let's just get you guys home." Ugh... what a sucker.
"Oh-kay." She continues to sob into his shirt.
He stands and pulls her up into his arms, cradling her to his chest. I follow suit, grabbing Kat's purse from the booth.
For a second, I wonder if we look strange, two large men carrying out incapacitated women, but nobody seems to question us.
Does this happen a lot? I'm not sure I like that thought...
Looking down at Kat's small body snuggled against me, just the thought of someone taking advantage of her makes my blood boil.
I wasn't paying close attention, but I didn't think she drank enough to be black out drunk...
Did someone slip her something?
Another wave of anger passes through my body. No, we were at the table all night. I would have noticed, right?
Maybe she had a panic attack. Do people pass out from those?
She seemed drowsy, before she began hyperventilating. I couldn't make out everything she was saying as she struggled to suck in air, but I caught enough to know her ex is a bastard.
She caught him cheating? On her? Who the fuck would cheat on her? That idiot asshole didn't deserve her.
I'm not boyfriend material, but even I know she is a rare gem. If you manage to catch her, you don't screw it up. Especially with some random whore. God damn. Makes me want to punch him in the face.
I have never understood cheating. What the hell do you gain? Just break up if you want to be with someone else. It doesn't seem that hard to me...
But maybe that's because I've never really been in a serious relationship. So what the fuck do I know, really?
All I do know is that she needs someone right now, but not in the way I was hoping. I will suck it up and try to be a good guy for tonight.
But just tonight.
I wouldn't want anyone getting the wrong idea.
At least everyone here that I know is too drunk to remember anything in the morning.
Once Nate closes out our tab, I follow him out to the parking lot.
"Hey asshat. There is no way in hell you are driving." I give him a pointed look as he reaches for his keys.
He blows out a breath, looking down at his sleeping woman. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Damn, he must really be wasted if he's not fighting me on this. He usually puts the phrase "fighting Irish" to shame. He definitely earns his red hair and infamous anger.
I wonder if the redhead he's carrying is natural or not. Her freckles seem to suggest she's as authentic as him.
Shit, I do not want to be there for any of their arguments. The world is going to implode or something.
When we make it to my stupid Bentley, I adjust Kat slightly so I can reach the keys in my front pocket. Her eyes flutter open briefly, meeting mine. She looks so vulnerable, so innocent that it steals my breath for a moment.
She sighs softly and pulls tighter to me, resting her face in my neck. Well damn, now I don't want to put her down.
Nate climbs in the back, so I carefully slide Kat in the front and buckle her up, hoping she doesn't wake up.
"Dude." I meet Nate's bloodshot eyes in the mirror. "Where am I going?"
Confusion etches across his face as he struggles to understand.
I sigh. "Where do they live?"
"Oh..." He finally responds, but still doesn't answer my question.
"You don't know, do you?" I glare at him in the rear view mirror.
He shrugs. "Some dorm?" Well, he is officially useless. "We can just wake them up and ask."
"What? No. Don't be a jerk." I'm not sure I could wake Kat, even if I wanted her wrath. "We can just take them home." I glance in the rear view mirror to see him smirking.
"Not like that, you stupid ass." As much as I would like Kat in my bed, it is definitely not the right time for that.
Plus if she woke up next to me, she would probably douce me in gasoline and light my bed on fire.
"What a weird ass night." I didn't mean to say it out loud, but Nate is too busy staring at the girl snuggled up in his arms to notice anyway.
We finally make it into the apartment after what feels like an eternity. Nate hurries off to his bedroom, leaving me to figure out what to do with Kat.
I decide to place her in the bedroom next to mine, unable to imagine her sharing a bathroom with anyone else in this house. Better me than a stranger, right?
I push down the nagging jealousy that seems to have taken up residence in the back of my mind since I met this little hurricane.
I am so screwed.
My last thought before drifting off comes out as a whisper. "She is totally going to murder me."
My sleep is restless.
I dream of Kat pouring gasoline all over me, only to wake up covered in a layer of sweat. Peeling my clothes from my body, I strip down to my boxers. I toss and turn before eventually returning to sleep.
She's standing over my bed glaring at me and despite knowing it's just a dream, I jerk awake. I scan the room, knowing she's not there, but I can't shake the feeling of her watching me.
Sliding my hand down to my boxers, I try to relieve some of the tension within my body. Imagining her eyes meeting mine and her hands on my body, I chant her name like a prayer.
Kat. Kat. Kat. Kat.
I've never come so hard and fast in my life.
I am pathetic.
That didn't make me feel better at all.
I want her, not just the thought of her.
I barely rid myself of the shame-filled boxers before sleep takes me under again.
I dream Kat is laying next to me, her muffled crying filling the room. I roll onto my back, knowing it is just imagination playing tricks on me again.
Now she is smothering me with a pillow. I brush away the hair that is tickling my nose and feel warm skin. This is no pillow.
Someone is laying on top of me, kissing my chest, licking their way around the curves of my muscles.
Damn. That feels so good. I let out an involuntary groan as she pushes herself down until our hips meet, feeling the lace of her underwear rubbing in just the right spot.
Sliding my hands down the sides of her body, I feel a lot of skin. She must be mostly naked, straddling my naked body.
Shit. I need to stop this. This is bad on so many levels. I need to figure out what's going on.
Once my eyes focus, I'm no less confused by what's happening. In fact, a random stranger breaking in here seemed more realistic than the reality.
"Kat?" I barely recognize the sound my own voice, I sound completely out of breath and a few octaves higher than usual. What is this, puberty?
Her answer is a moan as she grinds into me again. She finds a sensitive spot on my neck and I lose all train of thought.
I clear my throat, trying to remember what I was going to say. "Wh-what are y-you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" She looks up at me with lust filled eyes, I almost shut up to let her keep going. Almost.
"We can't..." I try to think past her body pressing against mine, but it's useless.
"Oh? And who's going to stop us." She starts moving down my body and I can only imagine where this is going.
I suck in a breath when she reaches my belly button. She's so close. Her hair is tickling my naked cock.
She looks down, her eyes growing wide. "Woah."
Woah? Is that a good thing? I thought I was pretty big, but who knows what I'm being compared to... I ignore that thought.
I don't think it's ugly or crooked or funny colors. Shit. Now I kinda wish she would stop looking at it.
She bites her lip as she runs her hand everywhere except where I'm about to explode.
"Oh fuuuuuuck." I lose control of my mouth when she takes me in her hand.
Her eyes meet mine. Her mouth parted, her chest heaving.
I can't look away from her. "God, you are so sexy."
As she continues to stroke me. Her mouth slides down my length as i watch her head dip down.
"Ah... Shit. Kat." My need for her growing. "That feels incredible."
I want to kiss her. I want to taste her the way she is tasting me. I want so much more than just this.
I grind my teeth. I cannot have her. Especially not tonight.
"Kat... You need to stop or I won't be able to keep myself from taking you." I warn her, but she takes it as a challenge, speeding up instead of stopping.
"Maybe I don't want you to stop." Shit. What was I trying to stop? This feels so damn good. How did anyone cheat on her?
Aaand just like that, I am back to reality. "Kat. Come on. This isn't what you really want."
"And you know what I want, Ben?" She challenges me, but I know better.
"Fine then, this isn't what I want." I try a different approach. Her movement stops as her shocked expression morphs into hurt.
She looks completely destroyed and I immediately regret my choice of words.
"Shit. Kat. No. That's not what I meant. Not at all." I hate seeing the look on her face and knowing I put it there is killing me inside.
"Please don't take that the wrong way." I plead with her, hoping she will understand.
"It's fine. I get it." She begins to climb off me, but I grab her arms, pulling her into my chest.
"No, you don't, Kat. I don't even get it." She looks up at me, her eyes filled with confusion behind the tears forming. "Trust me when I say, I want you."
She scoffs, rolling her eyes. "You have a funny way of showing it." The tears streak down her cheeks.
I flip onto my side, pulling her with me to get a better look into her eyes. She lets out a small sound of suprise, but doesn't fight me.
"Listen to me. I want you. You know I do." I pull her hand down to feel, forgetting I'm not wearing my boxers. She gasps, running her hand down my length. I try to hold back a groan, but fail. Her hand on me is almost more than I can take. I put my hand over hers to stop the movement. I close my eyes, gathering myself as I pull her hand to my mouth to press a kiss into it.
I look into her eyes, trying to show her the sincerity I feel. "I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone else, but I don't want to be your rebound."