The Casual Rule (17 page)

“Yes,” I cry out. “Again.”

Grabbing hold of my hips, he pounds furiously inside of me again and again. The headboard on my bed is slamming hard against the wall. My bed is rocking with each powerful thrust. This is rougher than I ever had before. God, I love it.

We’re not just fucking… we’re fucking amazing.

“Oh. Oh.” I groan loudly. I close my eyes and tilt my head back, panting. I move my hips, meeting his thrusts. He grips my hips tighter, gyrating in circles, filling me, buried deep inside me. “Ohh.” I didn’t know it could feel this intense, this raw, this incredibly deep.

“That’s it, let me hear you.” He slams hard inside of me.

“Ahh,” I cry out, gasping for air.

“Fuck, Fuck,” he hisses, holding me still as he finds his own release.

~o0o~

Ben’s lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. I’m on my side, resting my head in my hand, my fingernails running through the small patch of hair on his chest.

“That was nice,” I say.

“Mmm,” he hums appreciatively, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.

“Can I take off my heels now?”

“Yes, now you can.” He chuckles. I slip off my shoes and rub my foot up and down his calf.

He’s pretty relaxed. This is probably a good time to see where that horrible woman stands in his life. “I saw your friend Camille today,” I say matter-of-factly.

“Oh?” He opens his eyes and turns his head toward me.

“I was at the Cupcake Shoppe around the corner and bumped into her there. She said you mentioned we were seeing each other.”

“I may have mentioned something. She dropped by the rehab facility the other day to check on my grandmother. Is it okay with you that I said something?”

So, she’s using her family ties and playing the sick grandmother angle to work herself into his life. “Yes, it’s fine.”
Especially if that information pissed her off.
 Do I say what’s on my mind? Ben says he likes my honesty. I’ll just go for it. “She still has a thing for you, you know.”

“No. She’s just a friend. I’m not interested in her that way. She knows this.”

“She may know it, but she’s waiting for you to change your mind.”

“Did she tell you that?” He frowns.

“No, but I can tell.”

“I think you’re reading too much into it. We’re friends. Our families are friends. Our thing is ancient history.”

“So you never hooked up after your ‘ancient history’?” I ask.

He sighs and stares back up at the ceiling. I have my answer. “Do you really want to talk about Camille?” he asks.

I realize I’m starting to sound like a possessive, jealous girlfriend and I need to stop. I have no rights to that title. “No.” I change tack, running my nails through his chest hair. “Can I interest you in a dinner cupcake?”

“A dinner cupcake?” he scoffs.

“Yes, I accidentally bought five.”
No one needs to know about the cupcake I’ve already inhaled.

“How does one accidently buy five cupcakes?” His eyes sparkle with amusement.

“Don’t know.” I shrug. “Chalk it up to one of life’s many mysteries.”

“So the cupcakes replace dinner?”

“Yes, they cover all the important food groups. Eggs for protein, milk for dairy, flour for the starch.”

“What about a vegetable?”

“I’m sure there’s vegetable shortening in the batter or the frosting. That covers vegetables and fats.” I playfully zigzag my finger down his neck to his chest, making small circles on his warm skin.

“There is absolutely no truth in that statement.” He shakes his head, the laugh lines around his eyes crinkle, revealing his amusement.

“Today it’s the truth. And as a bonus, all the sugar groups are covered.”

“Well then, how could I pass up such a healthy meal?”

“Good. Stay here. I’ll get it.”

“When is your roommate due back?”

“She went out to dinner with Marcello and his partner, Peter. They usually go out clubbing after. It’s typically a pretty late night. Why do you ask?”

“I thought another round in the shower might be nice.”

“I would be a terrible hostess if I allowed you to leave here soiled in cupcake crumbs.”

“I
am
a very messy cupcake eater.” The corner of his lip twitches, as he’s trying to hold back a smile.

“Then in the name of good manners, I will personally scrub each and every crumb off of every inch of your body with my extra special scrubbing tools.” I pull the sheet down exposing my breasts and smile slyly.

“Nice tools.  That’s very gracious of you.” He rolls to his side and brushes his thumb across my nipple, the palm of his hand cupping the side of my breast.

“What can I say, I’m a giver. Stay here, I’ll be right back with our dinner.” I kiss his cheek and sit up.

“I’ll be waiting.”

I scan the floor for my silk robe then remember it’s on the floor in the other room. I’m not about to walk around my apartment in just a thong. I grab my dingy blue terrycloth robe and slide it on.

“Keep wearing sexy clothes like that and I’ll never let you out of the bedroom,” he teases.

“Only a real man can appreciate the true sex appeal of my blue terrycloth robe.” I tie the terrycloth sash around my waist. I take a quick peek at my wall as I’m walking out my bedroom and see a gash where the headboard was slamming into it. “Hey, you banged me so hard; you damaged my wall,” I tease.

“You’re welcome.” He winks with a sly grin.

I giggle and shake my head as I turn on my heel and leave the bedroom.

~o0o~

I walk into the living room, blissfully thinking about the cupcake I’m about to devour and the shower sex to follow, when I come to an abrupt halt.

Allie, Marcello and Peter are sitting on the living room floor around the coffee table… eating my cupcakes. The three of them look up at me, smirking.

“What… what are you doing here?” I stammer. There are times in my life when I wish I were invisible. This is one of those times.

“The wait at the restaurant was too long. We grabbed a quick bite instead and decided to come back here to keep you company. I guess you didn’t need us.” Allie grins.

“How long have you guys been here?” I am dreading this answer, embarrassed at the possibility that they overheard us having what I’m sure was very loud sex.

“We got here about twenty minutes ago-oh-oh-oh,” Allie groans suggestively, her eyes rolling up toward the ceiling, as she pretends she’s having an orgasm. I place my hands over my face, praying the earth will swallow me now. No question, they heard us. “Hungry, Jules? Sounds like you worked up an appetite.” Allie holds up a cupcake.

Don’t touch my cupcakes.

I narrow my eyes toward her then turn my attention to the guys. “Hello Marcello, Peter. I’ll be right back.” I turn around and march back into my bedroom.

~o0o~

“Hey, where’s my dinner?” Ben asks.

“On the coffee table.” I bend down, pick up his scattered clothes and throw it at him. “You’re going to need some clothes.”

“Why, do you want to undress me again?” he asks.

Well, yes, I do actually.

“There’s a full house in the living room. Apparently they’ve been here for a while,” I add grudgingly.

“Have they?” He actually looks amused.  I’m positively mortified that we’ve had an audience listening to us having loud, raunchy sex and Ben finds it funny. “Okay, let’s get dressed.” He grabs his clothes.

I grab a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt that were sitting on my dresser. I’m about to put back on my sweatpants when Ben stops me.

“No thong,” he says sternly.

“No?” I ask. He shakes his head. “You want the thong on during sex and you want it off after?”

“That’s exactly what I want.” He grins.

 I take off my thong then put on my sweats. “Is a bra okay?”

“The red one you were wearing before,” he says. So, he likes the push-up bra. Who can blame him? My breasts look tremendous in it. I pick my bra off the floor and put it back on. I grab my T-shirt. “Wait.” Ben walks over to me, facing me. His fingers trace along the silk edge of the bra, skimming the tops of my breasts. “I like this. It’s going to drive me crazy knowing this is under your shirt.” I bring my finger up to his mouth and trace his lips.  He sweetly kisses the pad of my fingertip.

“I promise you’ll see it again soon.” I stand on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek.

Together we walk to the bathroom across the hall to wash the sex off our hands then finger brush a dab of toothpaste in our mouths. I turn to Ben. “Ready to meet the gang?” I ask.

“Ready.”

~o0o~

We enter the living room to face the troops. Of course, Allie already knew who was in my bedroom, but Marcello’s eyes widen and he grins as he recognizes Ben from the photo shoot.

“Everyone, this is Ben. Ben, this is my roommate Allie, Peter, and you know Marcello.” I point to each friend.

“Ben.” Allie nods with a wide grin.

Marcello and Peter stand and walk over to us. Marcello shakes Ben’s hand. “Good to see you again, Ben.” He walks back to the couch, making sure he passes me and nudges my side.

“Good to see you too,” he says to Marcello then turns to Peter. “You look so familiar. Didn’t you work for Booker and Lithell?”

“I still do. You were at Martin and McKee, right?” Peter asks.

“Yes, my father is Richard Martin. I left the company about a year ago.”

“Wow, small world,” Peter says as they shake hands.

Yeah and getting smaller by the minute.

Ben and Peter walk over to the couch together and catch up; talking about banks, investments, and hedge funds. It’s all Greek to me.

“I think we have some cheese and crackers. I’ll go in the kitchen and get them.” I turn to everyone shaking my finger at each of them. “No one touch the last two cupcakes or your days will be numbered.”

“I’ll help,” Allie offers, jumping off the floor.

“Me too!” Marcello chimes in.

I’m not stupid. I know they have no intention of helping me; they want the lowdown on Ben. Once we’re in the kitchen and out of earshot of Ben and Peter, the barrage of questions begins.

“Julia, you little minx. I knew he had a thing for you,” Marcello says.

“I thought you had manuscripts to read tonight. Was Ben here to deliver the audio version of his book?” Allie teases.

“No, maybe it’s the Braille version. You need your hands for that. I’m betting Julia had her hands all over the spine of Ben’s
book
.” Marcello winks.

Allie laughs, holding in her stomach. “No doubt the book is a
hard-
cover.”

“The both of you are hysterical,” I reply sarcastically.

“Fess up Jules. Did you have plans with him all this time?” Allie asks.

“No, I swear.” I cross an imaginary “x” with my finger over my heart. “And Marcello, no word of this to Vivian. We’re keeping this quiet.”

“My lips are sealed.” He pinches his lips closed with his index finger and thumb. “Although Julia honey, if I were banging that man, I’d be shouting it from the rooftop.”

“How did he end up here or should I say… in there?” Allie asks, pointing in the direction of my bedroom.

I could save myself the embarrassment and make up a story or I could go for the truth. Allie can read me better than anyone. Lying is not an option. “Okay, this doesn’t go past the three of us,” I warn, pointing my finger at both of them.

“Okay,” Allie says.

“Promise me, Marcello,” I plead.

“I promise, now spill,” he says, holding up his hands.

“Remember that clingy friend of Ben’s who was at the photo shoot? Camille?”

“Ugh, the Ice Queen. Yes, I remember her.” He pokes his finger down his throat, sticks his tongue out and pretends he’s dry heaving.

“Apparently she and Ben had a
thing
a long time ago. He thinks they’re just friends now. I know she wants otherwise. I bumped into her at Clara’s Cupcakes. She pretty much said I was just a passing phase and he’ll dump me before I can blink. There’s no doubt she’s waiting for him to pick things up with her again.” My jaw clenches. I can’t stand her.

“Bitch,” Marcello says, wrinkling his nose.

“Exactly. She pretended she didn’t remember my name. Called me Judy.”

“Stupid Bitch!” he exclaims.

“That’s what I thought too. So, in my anger I sent a text to Ben to see if he was free tonight for some… well, you know.”
Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?

“Yes, we heard. I think the whole building heard,” Allie says, straight-faced. I shuffle my feet, looking down to the floor as I feel the heat from my face turning red.

“So let me get this straight. You had sex with Ben to get back at the Ice Queen?” Marcello asks.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Spite Sex!” He grins.

“What?”

“You had spite sex. You know, you have sex with someone to spite someone else.  That explains why the apartment was rocking. God, I love spite sex,” he says enthusiastically.

“Me too. It’s so wild and angry. Spitegasms are fucking amazing.” Allie nods her head in agreement.

“Well, all I know is she’s home alone eating a stupid cupcake. I just screwed Ben and I’m about to eat a cupcake too. There’s no doubt my victory tastes sweeter.”

“Definitely.” They agree in unison.

“I realize that Ben and I are just casual and we’re not actually dating, but she didn’t have to be such a bitch. I know this is only going to last until it fizzles out. She didn’t have to rub it in my face.”

“So, you’re not a couple?” Marcello frowns.

“Yeah, they’re a couple of fuck bud...” Allie begins.

“Allie,” I hold up my hand, stopping her mid-word. “I think we all know what this is, you don’t have to class it up, okay? No, Marcello. We’re not a couple. We just see each other when the mood strikes, no strings.”

“That’s cool with you?” he asks.

“That’s all I’m interested in. And that’s all he wants too. Can we go back before Ben and Peter come looking for us?”

“Yeah. Sure.” Thankfully, Allie lets me off the hook.

~o0o~

I set the tray of cheese and crackers on the coffee table and take my place on the floor with my legs crossed next to Ben. Allie pours each of us a glass of wine while Ben reaches over for a chunk of cheese. I reach straight for the cupcake. He looks at me and smiles.