More Than Friends Page 4

  “Well, there was a time period when you were all sorority too,” Jeni said, giving him a nudge with her elbow.

  “True,” he said with a laugh. He took another swig of this beer. “I did have a thing for the sorority sisters for a little while.” He placed his hand at the small of her back and leaned into her. “But they never had a thing on you,” he whispered in her ear, and a chill ran down her back. “There has never been another girl on this planet that I’ve found that compares to you. Even though I’ve said this a ton of times tonight already, once more won’t hurt. You look fabulous. Delicious, actually.” His lips grazed the nape of her neck.

  Jeni thought her knees would give out and was thankful for the support of the bar. She had chosen a pretty sexy dress for the reception. It was a black satin straight silhouette type dress with spaghetti straps. The corset-like bodice ruched in the front and back with a low neckline. She wore it well. With her long, chestnut waves cascading down her back, she knew Brian would love the way she looked. He loved seeing her skin, which contrasted nicely against the black dress. And there was quite a bit of skin showing. He loved her hair down and flowing. He lost the struggle to keep his hands out of her hair and leaned into her, breathing her in.

  “You look pretty great yourself,” she replied. Her hand brushed the lapel of his jacket. “You always did clean up well.” He looked better than great. He wore a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a peach tie. The colors made his brown eyes leap out. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown, and they always danced with something…sometimes mischievousness, but usually excitement.

  “Can I interest you in a dance?” Brian swallowed back the last few sips of his drink and set the bottle on the bar.

  “I may have a little interest,” she teased. Jeni took another sip of her own drink before Brian seized her free hand and dragged her forward to the dance floor. She set her glass on one of the tables they passed along the way.

  Once on the dance floor, he slid his arms around her waist and rested his hands on her low back. He pulled her close, and that was when Jeni realized what song the DJ had played. Their bodies touched as they swayed to Can’t Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon.

  “Does this song bring anything back for you?” he said in her ear.

  “Yes,” she said softly. “It does. Every single time I hear it.” It brought back a memory instantly. Every time she heard this song, the same images popped in her head. She and Brian sitting in his basement on Christmas break of their freshmen year of high school playing his mother’s albums on the record player. He sang this song so passionately, imitating his mother, who was a die-hard REO Speedwagon fan. They laughed hysterically—at the lyrics, at his mom’s passion, at his very convincing impression of his mom at an REO Speedwagon concert. And it was after that song, in the midst of laughing so hard they both were in tears, that he leaned over and kissed her for the first time. That kiss lasted for several minutes. It became as passionate as two fifteen-year-olds could be. It was the moment that changed their friendship forever. They explored many sexual firsts together throughout the next several years.

  For a few minutes, they were lost in the music, the memories, and the movement of their bodies. It was moments like these that made Jeni wonder why they never gave the relationship thing another try. It felt so right being in his arms. They knew each other better than a lot of married couples knew each other. They had been best friends since they were children, and they had been amazing lovers for years. But neither of them attempted to tread down that path again. Jeni knew deep down she was terrified to lose him completely. He had always been the one constant in her life. Her parents were both traveling salespersons. So, she had often found herself alone for good parts of the evenings and even on some weekends, as her two brothers were years older than her and off to college by the time she reached high school.

  Brian and his family filled in where her parents could not because of their jobs. And though she had thought about broaching the subject with Brian many times, her fear of losing him altogether got the better of her, and she let things stay as they were. And their relationship had been good. Great, actually. She could live with it. But she just knew she couldn’t live without him in her life.

  “I’m kind of hoping you are interested in more than a dance,” Brian whispered. A sly smile spread across his lips.

  “Depends on the options,” she said coyly.

  “Taking you out to the garden, hiking up your dress, and fucking you against that oak tree out there is an option,” he whispered into her ear.

  Jeni’s face flushed. She felt the heat in her cheeks. Her panties dampened at the thought.

  “Is that an option you’d consider?”

  “Yes,” she said, smiling. “I’d consider it.” She would consider sex with Brian anywhere.

  “Excellent,” Brian said and kissed her on the neck. “Why don’t we explore that option.” He took her hand and led her out the two large, wooden doors at the back of the reception hall and into the dark, cool evening air. September in Cleveland was hard to gauge. The days could be in the 70s or in the 50s. The nights could range from the 60s to the 40s. It was hard to know for sure if you could expect mild weather or the first crisp feel of autumn. This evening was cool, and the chill rippled through Jeni’s body.

  “Seems like you did some investigating of the property,” Jeni said. She gripped Brian’s hand and intertwined their fingers as she followed him down the cobblestone path that cut through the beautiful garden that abutted a small park with a terrific view of Lake Erie. It was a romantic setting for a wedding and an exciting place for a sexual tryst.

  “You could say that,” he said, stepping off the path and into the garden filled with lupine flowers and other various foliage. “I had a few moments when you were catching up with your friends. I thought I’d make good use of the free time.”

  She followed Brian through the dirt and jasmine groundcover, despite her high heels. They reached the trunk of the large oak tree, which was set several yards back from the cobblestone path. It was quite dark on the backside of the tree away from the path, and the bushes and hedges made the area seem remote.

  Brian pushed her against the tree trunk and kissed her hard on the lips. Her mouth opened, and his tongue swept in. It entwined with hers. He licked the inside of her mouth, as if he were starving for her taste. Jeni matched his enthusiasm. His hands roamed over the outside of her dress. The coolness of his hands and that of the air sent chills through her body and caused her nipples to grow hard. His fingers played with them through her dress, making them even harder.

  “I thought we’d never get out of there,” he said between kisses. “How long did you expect me to contain myself with you wearing that dress?” His hands slowly went up her thigh.

  Her body shuddered at the feel of his skin on hers. At first, his fingers caressed her sex through her panties. It was exhilarating. Jeni had to bite her lower lip to keep quiet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against the tree. She could feel the roughness of the tree trunk against the upper part of her bare back. It brought the reality of their situation to light. They were about to fuck against a tree at her friend’s wedding reception. The idea thrilled her. Slowly, he slid her panties to the side and slid his middle finger inside her.

  “Christ,” he moaned into her lips, “you’re soaked already.”

  “And you’re hard,” she replied, running her hand down the front of his shirt to his pants. She rubbed his cock through the material and felt it move underneath her hand.

  “Practically all night,” he breathed. Brian worked his fingers in her pussy, sliding one, then two fingers in and out of her. His thumb circled her clit, and every time he did, she moaned in pleasure. Her hips moved against the heel of his hand. His fingers kept a rhythm in and out of her slit until she writhed into an orgasm on his hand. Her pussy contracted against his fingers. She bit so hard on her lower lip to keep from screaming that she tasted bl
ood. “I love it when you come.” His fingers were still inside her. He slowly removed his fingers and slid them in his mouth.

  “God, you always taste incredible!” he said after tasting her. Watching him taste her juices on his fingers was more than she could take.

  Jeni’s hands fumbled with his pants until his cock was free. She turned to face the tree, gripping the trunk with her hands for support. Brian hiked her dress up over her hips and revealed her black G-string.

  “Fucking nice,” he moaned. Even though they shared a hotel room, she had gotten dressed while he was in the bathroom shaving. He only saw the end product. He did not get a chance to see what was hiding underneath her dress…until now. His hands glided over her ass, down her hips, and between her legs. “Do you want me inside you?” he asked just before sliding her panties to the side and guiding the head of his cock into her pussy, stretching her.

  “Yes,” Jeni cried. The sensation of his cock filling her made her heart race.

  “Say it,” he ordered in her ear. “Say you want me to fuck you.”

  Jeni’s body tingled. Every cell of her body came alive. “I want you to fuck me, Brian,” she said breathlessly. She turned her head slightly so she could see his face. The pleasure visible on his face excited her even more.

  “How much do you want it?” he asked.

  “Right now, I want it more than I want anything else. Take me. Please.”

  He pressed his pelvis against her and buried his cock deep inside her. His fingers entangled in her long hair and pulled her head back.

  “God, I love fucking you,” he said into her neck. He pumped into her so hard and fast that she had trouble catching her breath. He rocked her body. Her fingernails dug into the bark of the tree to keep from falling over. His breath quickened. He grunted, rather loudly, as she heard people walking along the cobblestone path.

  “Shh,” she whispered with a giggle.

  “I don’t care if the world knows I’m fucking you,” he said in a coarse voice and with a smile she felt against her neck. “That is how much I fucking love it.” He slammed himself in and out of her. Jeni felt another orgasm building inside her. Brian’s breath quickened more. He was close to the edge. Jeni could tell by his labored breathing.

  “Come with me, baby,” Brian said, grunting. He fought it. He held on as long as possible. He always did. But eventually, he let go. And so did she. They crested over the edge together. “Fuck!” His hands gripped her hips for support. He gave her everything he had before he bowed forward against her back and breathed hard. “You are fucking amazing.”

  “You certainly are using the word ‘fuck’ a lot,” she said with a laugh.

  “Can’t think of much else when I’m around you.” He kissed the side of her neck.

  They straightened themselves up and waited for the path to clear before entering back into civilization. They giggled and laughed the whole way to the front of the reception hall where they waited hand in hand for an available cab to take them back to the hotel. Jeni and Brian had many sexual escapades in public locations. They used to keep a running list of all the adventurous places they had sex. A park bench in the middle of the day. (It was amazing what could be hidden by a long skirt.) The dugout for their high school baseball team just a couple hours before a game. The dressing room at the mall. The ladies room at the supermarket. On a blanket in the lawn section of a Dave Matthews concert. It had been quite the list. And here they had just added Bethany’s reception hall garden to the list. Jeni was thrilled that after all these years of exploring sex with Brian that they could still find exciting places to share together.

  Chapter Five

  The taxicab drove them back to the hotel and dropped them off at the hotel entrance. Brian took her hand and led her through the hotel lobby to the elevators. They traveled up to their room in complete silence. Jeni thought something might be wrong. His face appeared a bit more serious than usual, especially after having just had great sex. They had been laughing and kissing and joking around during the cab ride, but the second they hit the elevator, he got extremely quiet.

  “I’ve been thinking,” he said, turning to face her as soon as they closed the hotel room door behind them.

  “About what?” she asked softly. Jeni had no idea where this conversation was headed.

  “Us.”

  “What about us?” She looked up at him. His eyes were dark. His brow furrowed. And his beautifully crooked smile was absent from his lips. Jeni was sure he was going to tell her they had to stop doing this to themselves. They would never be able to sustain a healthy relationship with anyone if they kept having sex every single time they were around each other. She knew he was going to tell her that her “cooling off” idea had to be reinstated.

  “I was trying to figure out why we never gave a relationship another try,” he said. “We have always been best friends, confiding in each other about everything. We trust each other. We are obviously sexually compatible.” The smile she loved crept across his lips. She felt a bit more relaxed.

  “I think we just never wanted to risk ruining what we do have,” she said. The butterflies fluttered in her belly. She and Brian never discussed trying a romantic relationship since they broke up in high school and agreed to be friends…with benefits. Many times over the course of their friendship, Jeni thought they would be perfect together. They enjoyed the same things. They loved sports. The Buckeyes. They liked the same kind of music…movies…TV shows. They were comfortable around each other, clothed or not. And as he said, they were very sexually compatible. But Jeni had never been great at romantic relationships. In fact, she was horrible at them. And the topic scared her, which was why she never brought it up to Brian. She knew if she let herself, she would be head over heels for him. In fact, she already was. She probably had been forever. What if it didn’t work out? What if he ended up hating her because the relationship went south? She shied away from pursuing anything more than they already had, because to pursue it could mean she could lose him forever. And she didn’t want to even think about that.

  “What would you say if I told you that I might?” he said.

  “Might what?”

  “Want to risk it,” he said softly. He looked at her in a way he never had in the past. It sent a chill through her body.

  “Are you serious?” She could hear the hint of nervousness in her voice.

  “Very.” He ran the back of his fingers along her cheek. “Being with you this weekend made me realize how much I actually missed you. And not just sexually. I miss your smile. Your laugh. Your presence. Our late night conversations while we lie in bed and I hold you. The way you raise your right eyebrow when you think I’m being an idiot. The way you know exactly what I’m thinking or what I need without me having to even say it. It just hit me hard that I truly miss you.”

  “How would it work out?” she said somewhat negatively. “You live here. I live in Florida.”

  “True. But maybe the distance would force us to move slowly so we don’t screw things up. And I’m not opposed to moving out of Ohio. I mean, I do love the beach and you in a bikini…though we definitely need to find you a bikini that covers you a little more than the one you’re apparently wearing.” He winked at her. Jeni tried to contain her smile, but a nervous one crept across her lips anyway. “What do you think, Jeni?”

  “Honestly?” she asked.

  “Of course, honestly.” His fingers moved a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. The gesture was both sweet and sensual.

  “It scares the shit out of me.” She looked down at her feet, trying to avoid eye contact with Brian. She didn’t want him to see the tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Why?” He lifted her chin with his hand. His eyes were sincere.

  “Because, Brian, you have been my greatest friend. We’ve known each other forever. And I don’t want to lose you.” Jeni tried desperately to contain the tears, but one escaped and flowed down her cheek. She knew exactl
y why she was crying. She wanted what Brian was offering. She did…desperately. But she didn’t know what she would do if it didn’t work out and they were no longer friends.

  “I don’t want to lose you either.” He wiped away the tear with his thumb. “I know it’s intimidating. Neither one of us have really excelled at the whole relationship thing. But maybe that’s because we were waiting to find each other in that way again.”

  “Do you really believe that?” she asked with a wry smile.

  “I don’t know,” he said in a soft voice. “But I do know I want to try.” He lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips. “What do you say? Will you be my girl?” The way he asked, the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes, made her melt.

  “Maybe,” she said teasingly before throwing her arms around his neck. She kissed him softly on the lips. He returned the kiss gently at first. Then passionately. His tongue probed into her mouth and entwined with hers. It was the most sensual kiss they ever shared. His hands slowly unzipped the back of her dress. He slid the straps over her shoulders and slid the dress over her body until it fell to the floor. He stepped back, kicked off his shoes, slid his jacket off, and loosened his tie, never once taking his gaze off her.

  “You’re stunning, Jeni,” he said. “One of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen.” She was standing before him in nothing but her black panties and black heels as she was sure she had numerous times before, but this time it felt different. He looked at her differently. He stepped forward and shortened the space between them. He pulled the tie over his head and began unbuttoning his shirt.

  “Let me,” she said. Her hands replaced his. Once all the buttons were undone, she slipped her hands up his torso, over his smooth chest and shoulders, and pushed the shirt off his shoulders and arms onto the floor. He sucked in a breath at the feel of her hands on his skin. She kissed his chest. Little kisses. She slid her tongue over his neck, savoring the slightly salty taste of his skin. He moaned softly. His right hand lifted her chin so that she was looking into his deep chocolate eyes.