I'm Holding On (18 page)

Ian

Isaac
parks at a bar, and I don’t recall the ride here. I’m about to be drilled. I sit at a table and run my hands down my face. He appears and slides a beer in front of me, so I grab it and take a drink.

“Were you and your longtime friend Drew fighting over what
I think you were fighting over?”

“Yes.”

“You better start talking, little brother. Are you looking for a felony? Your career will end before it even begins.”

I take another drink and sla
m my bottle down.

“That woman is Brynlee
. She’s the one I told you about today. What I didn’t tell you is that she works with Drew, and he’s been in love with her for over two years.”

“Why would you put a move on your friend’s girl? That’s not like you.”

“I knew about the girl he loved, but I didn’t know it was Brynlee until after we shared three very intense dates. It was too late then. I couldn’t give her up. She belongs with me, and I’m fighting for her.”

“
Yes, I witnessed that part.”

“
After Drew saw her out on a date with me, he finally told her how he felt. She had liked him the whole time, too, so once he told her, she got confused. She’s trying to decide which one of us she wants.”

“That’s some messed up shit
.”

“
I’m working on limited time, and that’s partly why I planned to introduce her to the family Sunday. I have major catching up to do. Drew’s been her best friend for over two years.”

“What happened tonight?”

“I saw his hands on her and overheard a conversation about them taking a shower together. I snapped. We’re basically sharing her but without sex.”

I take a drink of my beer
. Just thinking again about him touching her has me seeing red.

“Ian, come back to me, bro. You can’t land your ass in jail. You know you can’t touch him again. I’m not trying to
be negative, but do you think you can compete with him when they’ve had that kind of friendship?”

“We hav
e something intense between us, Isaac. Physically, we couldn’t be more right for each other. The chemistry is almost too much for me to handle, but after seeing her with Drew this evening, I don’t know if I still have a shot, especially after that incident.”

“I doubt
that helped you any.”

“Every second we’
ve spent together has been perfect, and I thought she was carefree with me until I saw them interact tonight. I’ve never seen her that trusting. She was so relaxed and happy.”

“
Maybe she’s more comfortable simply because she’s known him longer, or maybe you’re paranoid. I imagine he’d have the same fears if he saw you two together.”

“She told me
he’s lost it a couple of times but nothing like this. He was pretty pissed one morning when he showed up at her place, only to discover she’d slept over at mine.”

“Damn. She slept in your bed
all night, and you didn’t fuck her?”

I look away from him.
I never planned on telling a soul about this arrangement.

“
I see how much you care for her. I’m not going to give you shit over this. It’s a messed up situation, and I’m real sorry it happened with the first girl you’re obviously in love with. I didn’t know if we’d see the day.”

“I
do love Brynlee, and I don’t see how I’ll let her go if I have to. Isaac, I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want her in my life, and I’m used to getting what I want.”

“Sorry
, but we don’t get to control who others fall in love with, so you’re going to have to win her over, and beating up the other guy she has feelings for is not the way to go about it.”

“I know.
Listen, please don’t breathe a word about this to Mom and Dad or Blaire. I don’t want them thinking negatively about her. She’s special, Isaac. I’ve never met a sweeter woman, and Drew and I aren’t making things easy for her.”

“
I won’t say a word, but do we even know her family?”

I roll my eyes. “No, s
he doesn’t come from money, and it shouldn’t matter. Can you take me to my car? I have to apologize to her.”

“Alright
, but call her. Don’t try to see her tonight. I have a feeling she might be with him for a while, especially if you did any damage.”

“Don’t say that shit. I can’t even think about her being with him now that I’ve seen them in action.”

Isaac points at me. “Don’t go over there. I mean it, and don’t touch him again. I’ll beat your ass if I have to represent you in court.”

“Fine. Let’s go.”

Drew

I still hav
en’t decided if I’m going to rip Ian’s head off after I take Bryn home. I can’t even tell her all the thoughts I’m having of what I’d like to do to him. He came within a foot of punching her. I would’ve been in jail for sure had he not stopped his fist.

“I’m going to take a shower. You can watch TV or if you’re hungry, help yourself to whatever you can find,” I say as I throw my keys on the table and head to the bathroom.

I’ve been silently fuming since we left the shop. I’m too angry at Ian and this whole fucked up situation to talk. I get into the shower and actually smell the sweet scent from a day of helping Brynlee bake. It’s that same smell that comforts me every day.

“Hi,” she says as her arms wrap around my waist from behind. Oh damn.
I turn around.

“How did you snea
k in here without me hearing?”

“You must’ve been daydreaming.”

“I was … about you and that sweet scent of yours. Bryn, don’t feel like you have to do this because of what he did.”

“I want
to do this. I thought I could wash your hair for you. Maybe the steri strips will stay on better, and I need a shower since someone dumped powdered sugar on my head.”

I cup her face and graze my greedy lips across hers
.

“I’ve never on
ce had a dull moment with you,” I whisper before my tongue finds its way in. Bryn’s fingers trail up my back, leaving me to feel as if I’ve lain on a jelly fish, thousands of nematocysts piercing my skin, injecting me with venom.

Since my heart beats at warp speed from her touch, I should be dead
from it coursing through my veins, but instead, Brynlee’s touch brings me to life like a drug that sucks me in more, luring me into her trap. One I’ll willingly stay in.

I don’t know how I’ll survive this shower without erupting.
I jerk my lips away from hers and watch those dark pools of rapture tilt up at me.

“Hand me the shampoo and turn around,” she says.

After doing what she commands, I feel the stings all over again, her tentacles on my scalp. Why does it feel so much better to have her fingers wash my hair? This is not helping the situation I have going on down south.

“OK, rinse,” she says. I do as I’m told again and trade her places. She tilts her head back under
the water, and while her eyes are shut, I scan her body from head to toe, filing more images away.

Her eyes open, and the water drop
lets resting on her long lashes, her hair slicked back and those pouty red lips parted make me groan.

“Bryn, I’m going insane here. I want to touch you
.”

She gives me a
penetrating look as she squirts shampoo into her hands and begins rubbing it into her wet strands.

“Then touch me.” Her eyes close
, and her head falls back under the water again. Have I died and don’t realize it? Did Ian kill me and this is the afterlife? If so, I might have to thank the man.

Gently taking hold of each side of her nec
k, I glide my hands from there down the front of her chest and around each of her tits. Her luscious pair. Holding the sides of them, my thumbs circle her nipples that harden beneath my touch.

Bryn’s
mouth falls open, and her forehead wrinkles, a strained expression appearing on her excited face. She lets out the most erotic whimper. Yes, I need to thank the man. I’ll take a head beating every day if this is the end result.

O
ne of her nipples slide between my teasing teeth. My tongue swirls around her pink, hardened flesh while my fingers grip her ass.

Her palm is back around
my aching erection, and I can’t believe I get this twice in a few days. I feel like a teenager as I get the best hand job from Brynlee.

My hands go from her ass to fisting her wet hair
when she generates the most electrifying orgasm. My body quakes as my face buries in her neck.

My mouth will be all over
her tonight. I’ll be sure she can’t bring herself to tell me no. Like the other day, I dry her off, but I’m impatient, so she’s still wet as I carry her to my bed.

I explore her mouth before my lips move
to her ear, neck and chest. After giving her breasts more attention, my lips glide down her smooth stomach. Her erotic whimpers soon turns into moans as my tongue finds her inner thigh.

“Drew.
”

“What, sugar
?”

“I don’t know
about this.”

“Yes you do. Tell me to taste you, Bryn.”

“I can’t.”

“Say it.
” My lips skim across her wet flesh, my blazing breath taunting her. “Tell me to pleasure you until you scream.”

“I won’t say that
.” She’s breathless and squirming. 

“Yes you will
. Even if only for this moment, give yourself to me, Brynlee.”

Brynlee

Screw it.
I don’t want to fight this anymore.

“Pleasure
me until I scream, Drew. Do it now.” My words come out between ragged breaths and send him out of control. He pins my wrists to the bed, a guttural sound escaping his breath before his tongue is sweeping, his scorching mouth consuming. I’m paralyzed from pleasure that was sanctioned by Drew.

Even if only
for this moment, give yourself to me.
His last words echoing in my head, over and over as every one of my nerves flicker.

“Dammit, Brynlee, it’s going to take all my will not to bury myself deep inside you when this is over.
You. Are. Mine.
Do you hear me?
You’re mine
. I won’t let him have you.”

His tongue is back on me, lapping, sucking and stroking. Ineb
riated from the fits of ravishment, it only takes one more nip of my bud between his teeth and swirl of his tongue to open a portal of ecstasy.

I scream as a
n unrestrained, wildly blissful place swallows me up, and I don’t know if I want it to spit me back out.

The next thing I feel is my wrists being moved above my head. Drew’s strong hand clamp
s firmly, holding them together as his weight falls upon me. He convulses and growls as his erection pulses against my stomach, his release casting us together.

“As I expected, you taste sweet everywhere,” he whispers in my ear before he unleashes my hands.

He rolls us over until he’s on his back. Fiery arms wrap around me, and I lay my head on his chest before the heaviest state of exhaustion and contentment falls on me.

Drew

The clo
ck reads six. I’m quickly calculating and realize it can’t be six in the evening. Brynlee is asleep on top of me, and we never moved after what I’d strangely call the best non-lovemaking I’ve ever experienced. I say a prayer to a higher power to let me keep her.

“Pl
ease, I’m begging,” I whisper, my eyes watery. I flit my fingers along her back, and the touch of her skin makes me hard underneath her. I have to get her off me. She stirs and lifts her head before glancing around, appearing to discover where she is.

“How long have we been like this?”

“All night,” I say, pointing toward the clock. She goes to climb off of me, but embarrassingly she’s stuck. “Sorry, but it was that or be inside you. I didn’t figure you were OK with the latter.”

A sweet grin spreads across her face before she peels herself off of me. “
I remember, and I’m certain we need showers again.”

“No, I’m marking my territory,” I say before I pull her back to me. “Just
kidding. Sort of. I’ll jump in and then take you home to shower before we go to work. Just give me fifteen.”

Ian

I’m out of
my mind. I tried to reach Brynlee for hours last night. She never answered or returned my calls. I almost drove to her place, but if she hadn’t have been there, I don’t think my heart could’ve taken it.

I’m going by the bakery before work. I have to see her and apologize, or I’ll get nothing accomplished today. My phone beeps
as I’m getting ready.

Brynlee:
Hi. I’m sorry I didn’t answer you back. I wasn’t near my phone, but I’m fine.

Fuck. I can take a guess why she wasn’t near the damn thing.

Me:
I’m relieved you’re OK, and I’m sorry about last night. I need to talk to you.

Bryn
lee:
I know. Later. I hope you have a good day at work.

S
he’s really pissed at me, but in Brynlee fashion, she tells me to have a good day and probably means it. I don’t respond. I’m seeing her in person.