Authors: E. L. Todd
“Can I record this?”
“Why?”
“For my own sick pleasure.”
I said nothing for a long time, unsure how to respond.
“I’ll never show anyone, babe. But if you’re uncomfortable, it’s fine.”
“I trust you, Sean.”
“Good.” He reached for his phone then leaned it against a pillow. “That trust isn’t misplaced.”
“I know.”
He slid inside me, making my mind fall away from reality. Every thrust made my
mind unwind even more, just concentrating on the physical act between us. I forgot about the camera and the film we were making. My desire took over my mind and I made love to my fiancé, falling more in love with him than I ever thought was possible.
9
Since we were going to down to the pool, my first instinct was to remove my engagement ring. I wanted to protect it from the chlorine, sunblock, and the sun. But as soon as I pulled it from my fingers, Sean flipped out.
“What the hell are you doing?”
I flinched at the anger in his voice. “I just don’t want to damage it.”
“I didn’t spend a fortune on that so you wouldn’t wear it.” He stared at me, the anger brewing in his eyes.
Under his psychotic look, I slipped it back my finger.
“I never want to you see you without that ring.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it.”
“You can calm down now.”
He sighed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to snap like that. I just want everyone to know you’re taken. I like seeing you wear it. It’s the biggest turn on knowing you’re legally my property.”
“Your property?”
“You heard me. Don’t act like you don’t feel the same way. If a girl even touched my arm, you would flip out.”
He had a point. “Then I better not see your ring off your finger ever.”
“Deal.”
“Not even when you play ball with the guys.”
“I’ll never take it off, Scar. I want people to know I’m taken too.”
“Well, then your psychotic behavior is excused.”
“I didn’t ask to be excused.” He grabbed my beach tote and placed it over his shoulder.
“You don’t need to walk me, Sean. I can manage.” I reached for my bag.
“How many times are we going to do this?” He stared at me. “My wife doesn’t carry anything, doesn’t open any doors, doesn’t pay for anything.”
“I’m not your wife yet.”
“Whatever. Same difference.” He turned to the door. “Let’s go.”
We walked to the lobby and met everyone. Janice seemed to be more awake than before but she still wore her sunglasses. The men were wearing their gym clothes. Cortland was carrying Monnique’s bag and Ryan was practically carrying Janice.
We walked to the pool and found three chairs near the water. Sean put down my stuff then pulled out the sunblock. “Let me do the honors.”
I lied on my stomach and let Sean rubbed the lotion on my back and shoulders. It felt like a massage so I closed my eyes. His hands moved lower and rubbed the sunblock into my ass and thighs then down my legs.
“Turn over.”
I sighed then lay on my back. I reached for the sunblock but he pulled it away.
“I’m not done.”
“I can take it from here.”
He squirted more into his hands then rubbed my calves and my thighs. There were kids playing in the pool and ladies sunbathing in the chairs. The water splashed over the side and made the concrete dark and wet. I watched Sean as he moved to my stomach. Then, he rubbed my chest.
I pushed his hand away. “Really?”
“What?” he said, acting innocent.
“There are kids here.”
“And how do you think kids are made?”
“You’re so gross.”
His hands moved back to my chest. “I have to make sure they’re protected. You know much how much I love these.”
When I looked past him, I saw a few older women giving me the hateful eye. Women never liked me. I was always hated as soon as I entered a room. “That’s enough, Sean.”
He wiped his hands on the towel then put the bottle away. “Have fun, babe. Call me if you need me.”
“Okay.”
He grabbed my face and kissed me before he stood up.
I looked over at Monnique and Cortland. Monnique was pushing him off. Cortland’s hands were white from the sunblock lotion.
“What?” he asked. “I’m just trying to help.”
Monnique t
ied the string of her bottom piece. He obviously untied it. “Just go, Cortland.”
“I just care about your sun exposure.”
“I’m going to be sitting on my ass all day. It doesn’t need that much lotion.”
“It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
She looked at Sean. “Please take him with you.”
Sean laughed then grabbed Cortland by the arm. “Come on, buddy. They’ll still be here when we’re done.”
Ryan gave Janice a kiss before he left.
The boys left the pool then returned to the inside of the building.
“They are something else, aren’t they?” Monnique said as she shook her head.
“Everyone here hates us,” I said, looking around.
“I don’t blame them.”
Janice sighed. “Am I the only one who still has a headache?”
“I had a drink for breakfast. It helps the hangover,” Monnique answered.
“I guess I need to get drunk again,” Janice said. “So you two made out?”
We both looked at her. “You just realized that?” I asked.
“I don’t remember anything from last night. Did that really happen?”
“Apparently,” I said with a sigh.
“I wonder how that happened,” Janice said.
“I have no idea,” I said.
“I bet the guys tricked us,” Monnique said as she leaned back in her chair and opened a magazine.
“You think?” I asked.
“
I know Cortland. He’s a sweetheart and a gentleman, but he’s also a disgusting pervert. He asked if I would be willing to use a stripper pole in the bedroom.”
Janice laughed. “Sorry. That one is my fault.”
Monnique looked at her.
“Ryan got one and I did a number for him.”
Monnique shook her head. “I don’t know if I could pull that off.”
“It’s not hard,” J
anice said. “And I doubt he’s paying that much attention since your goodies are hanging out.”
“Are you g
oing to get one?” she asked me.
“No,” I said quickly. “We aren’t copying my brother. That’s just weird.”
“Well, what do you do to keep it spiced up?” Monnique asked.
I shrugged. “Nothing special. Sean always gets me off. I’m not too worried about it right now.”
“Yeah, Cortland’s the same way. It’s a really nice change. I loved my last boyfriend but the sex wasn’t nearly was good. I was lucky if I got off once a week.”
“Well, Ryan has slept with more people than I’ve met in a lifetime, so he has a ton of experience,” Janice said.
“Sean too,” I said.
“So, getting cold feet?’ Monnique asked.
“No.”
“Really?” Janice asked.
“Why would I?”
She shrugged. “I like Sean but he’s messed up a lot. You aren’t scared he won’t do it again?”
“No.”
“Well, that’s good.”
“Sean made some mistakes, but he never had malicious intent when he did them. It was a complicated situation.”
“You aren’t afraid he’ll get tired of marriage and go back to his old ways?” Janice asked.
“No,” I said. “I know he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. Are you afraid Ryan will?”
She was quiet for a long time. “Sometimes it scares me.”
“He won’t,” I said firmly. “He loves you, Janice.”
“I know he does.”
We lied there under the sun, reading our magazines and chatting about various things, mainly the guys. It was nice to not have them around and have some peace and quiet.
“You still haven’t gotten your dress?” Monnique asked.
“No,” I said with a sigh. “I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Why?” she asked. “That’s the best part.”
“I just don’t know what to wear. Girls know what style and cut they want when they are like five years old. I have no idea.”
“We’ll try them on and you’ll make a decision then,” Janice said.
“I would rather just wear jeans,” I said with a laugh.
“You’re going to look so beautiful,” Monnique said. “Sean is going to be speechless.”
“I hope so.”
“He’ll probably want to start the honeymoon right after the ceremony,” Janice said.
“You’re probably right.”
“Where are you going on your honeymoon?” Monnique asked.
“Hawaii. We wanted to do something in the country that was tropical.”
“You’ll have a great time,” Monnique said.
“Sean won’t let us leave the bedroom. I actually wanted to go sight-seeing, snorkeling and surfing, but I know that isn’t going to happen,” I said.
“That doesn’t sound so bad to me,” Monnique said with a smile. “I would
n’t mind being stuck with Cortland all day.”
“So you aren’t mad about him from last night?”
“Why would I be mad?”
“Well, he let us make out. He could have stopped it.”
“I don’t really care. We were having fun and got out of hand. It’s not a big deal. I know Cortland wouldn’t tell anyone else outside the six of us.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” I said.
“Were you mad at Sean?” she asked.
“No. I was a little irritated that he had a video though.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I guess I was afraid he would show someone.”
“As possessive as our men are, there’s no way they’d show a video of us kissing to other men.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“I know I’m right. Do you feel better now?”
“Yeah I do. I guess I was just embarrassed, especially since I don’t remember anything.”
“We’ll have to ask them.”
“Hey. Why didn’t anyone want to kiss me?” Janice asked.
“You sound disappointed,” I said with a laugh.
“I just feel a little left out.”
“If only Mike could hear us,” I said.
Monnique laughed. “He’d pass out.”
I lay back in my chair and placed the magazine over my face to block the sun. The sun always made me tired so I decided to close my eyes and get a rest. When the dreams started to enter my mind, I saw Sean. He was kissing me at the park on a spring day. I was wearing a white dress but that’s all I could remember.
10
Sean
“Cortland’s on my team,” I said as I dribbled the ball.
Ryan looked at me, dumbfounded. “What?”
“He’s the best player. You can have my brother.”
Cortland shrugged. “That’s cool with me.”
“But we’re always on the same team,” Ryan said.
“You guys act like a bunch of girls,” Mike said as he stole the ball. “Let’s just play.”
“Okay,” Ryan said. “I’ll be on Mike’s team.”
Mike leaned toward him. “I know where all of Sean’s weaknesses are. You’re in good hands.”
We started the game and dribbled the ball up and down the court. I preferred playing sports than hitting the gym any day. Lifting weights and doing cardio was boring and unexciting. Cortland was a good player and we worked well together. He knew when my throws were fake and when they were real. We got along pretty well. My hatred for him had disappeared after we had our conversation. It was a weight off my shoulders. I promised myself that I would always put Scarlet before me and I was proud of myself for doing it now. It would have been so easy for me to cut Cortland out of the group, but I didn’t because I loved Scarlet so much. When she was happy, I was happy.
My body was drenched in sweat. The fluid started to burn my eyes as it leake
d into it. I lifted up my shirt a few times to wipe it away. The basketball court was indoors. There were three white walls that surrounded it, and a glass wall on the other side.
The game got so intense that we stripped off our shirts. Being enclosed in that room was making us a lot hotter than we would normally be if we were outside. The game continued on and we kept tying the score. The teams were perfectly balanced with talent. No one had the upper hand for too long.
Mike was just as good in the game as I was, which made him an annoying opponent. He played dirty with me because he was still pissed that I shattered his phone into pieces. I didn’t feel any remorse about it. I gave him two warnings before I finally took the matter into my own hands. Scarlet was seriously bothered by the video and I wasn’t going to let anyone make her feel scared or uncomfortable. When it came to Scarlet I was always on the brink of insanity. I took her safety too seriously, but I couldn’t help it. I was obsessed with her. I wasn’t sure how our marriage was going to work when I was this needy for her. I seriously could fuck her all day, every day and never grow tired of it.
The game dragged on for a long time. I was getting so tired that my mus
cles were screaming in resistance. We played for almost two hours, which was the longest I’ve ever played in my life. My thighs and ass was sore from the exertion.
When I looked toward the door, I saw two girls standing there. They both wore spandex shorts and skimpy workout tops. Even though they were dressed in exercise attire, they didn’t look ready to workout at all. Their hair was perfectly curled around their shoulders and their faces were heavy with makeup. As soon as I saw them staring at us, I felt alarmed. I was shirtless. Our clothes were right next to them so I had to come close to them if I wanted to grab it.
I exchanged glances with Cortland and Ryan, silently communicating with them. The girls were obviously staring at us, liking what they saw. Mike was the only one who seemed happy by the predicament.
“Hey, lad
ies. Wanna play some one-on-one?” he said as he spun the ball on his finger.
The brunette twirled her hair in her fingers. “That could be interesting.”
“Or how about one on two?” he said with a smile.
“One on two?” the brunette asked.
“Yeah. Me and the two of you.”
The blonde kept looking at me. She obviously already staked a claim on me when we were out of earshot. Damn. I walked over to my shirt then kneeled down. I grabbed it and pulled but the blond put her foot down.
“I’m Lisa,” she said.
I pulled my shirt again. “L
isa, could you get off my shirt?”
“I will if you tell me your name.”
“I prefer brunettes.”
“That’s an interesting name,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m married.”
“You’re
not wearing a ring.”
“I don’t’ wear it when I play ball.”
“You take playing hard to get very seriously.”
“You know what? Keep the shirt.” I got up and walked out.
Mike stepped in front of her. “Ignore him. He’s gay.”
“Oh. That explain a lot. I’ve never been rejected before.”
“How about I buy both of you a drink?”
Lisa looked at Cortland. “Are you gay too?”
“Yes.”
“Oh,” she said. “So you two are together?” She looked at Ryan then back at Cortland.
Cortland looked at Ryan, silently asking him what he should say.
Ryan forced the words from his mouth with a clenched jaw. “Yeah. We just got married.”
“That’s so cute!” the girl said as she clapped her hands.
“But I’m
not gay,” Mike said quickly. “So, I’m here to save the day.”
Ryan and Cortland grabbed their shirts then came behind me. We headed to the showers and washed the sweat from our bodies. I’ve never been so uncomfortable by women coming onto me. Since I had experienced it since I hit puberty, I was used to it. But now that I was practically married, I felt like I was cheating on Scarlet. I wished girls wouldn’t look at me like that. I felt horrible like I had done something wrong. I shouldn’t have taken off my shirt when we played basketball. That was my fault and I learned my lesson.
“I’ll meet you in the bar,” I said. I threw on my clothes then headed back out to the pool. The girls were lying on their chairs, totally immobile. I couldn’t sit still like that all day if my life depended on it. I stared at Scarlet’s rockin’ body in her bikini for a moment before I approached her.
“Babe?”
She opened her eyes and lifted up her sunglasses. “What are you doing here?”
“Please don’t tell me the other two are coming,” Monnique said.
“No, it’s just me,” I said. I leaned closer to Scarlet. “I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
I sighed. “We were playing ball and I took off my shirt because I was hot. When we were done these girls tried to flirt with us. I grabbed my shirt and left. Nothing happened.”
She looked confused. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry I took off my shirt. I feel horrible now. It won’t happen again.”
Monnique started laughing and she tried to cover her mouth to stop her chuckles.
I was annoyed by her reaction but I ignored it. “Babe, I’m sorry.”
“Sean, it’s okay. It’s not a big deal.”
“I just wanted to tell you the truth instead of you finding out some other way.”
“Sean, you didn’t do anything wrong. Why are you so upset right now?”
“I don’t want you to ever think I’m doing something behind your back. I thought you should know. I shouldn’t have taken off my shirt. I was wrong.”
“Sean, it probably would have happened anyway
, even if you kept your clothes on. Girls are going to hit on you and that’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”
“Really?”
“It’s annoying and makes me jealous, but it’s nothing to be upset about.”
“Oh. I just wanted to be honest with you.”
Monnique laughed again. “Someone is overcompensating.”
“So?” I said. “I admit that I fucked
up before and I’m not going to do anything like that again. I’ll always be honest with you, Scar.”
She smiled at me and patted my cheek. “Babe, we’ve moved on from the past. I’ve let it go and you need to let it go. I wouldn’t be with you if I didn’t trust you completely. You don’t need to tell me every little thing that happens, okay?”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“But you were upset when I didn’t tell you about Maria.”
“Sean, that’s a completely different situation. And to be honest, I don’t want to hear about women hitting on you all the time.”
“Okay.”
“Now go back and have a good time.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay.”
She grabbed my face and kissed me. “But I do appreciate your honesty and devotion to me.”
“I’ll always be honest with you.”
“Now go have a good time.”
“Okay.” I leaned down and kissed her inner thigh before I stood up and left the pool deck. I walked back into the hotel, feeling the guilt and anxiety leave my shoulders. I walked into the bar and saw the guys already sitting down, watching the game on the screen. I ordered a beer and wings then leaned back.
“What took you so long?” Mike asked.
“I was talking to Scarlet.”
“About what?”
“About what just happened.”
“You’re the biggest pussy I’ve ever met in my life.”
I shrugged. “I really don’t care.”
“What happened to you? You weren’t even this annoying when you were with Penelope.”
“Don’t mention her again. She isn’t in our lives anymore. She’s something of the past.”
“Whatever. You still weren’t as annoying.”
“Because Scarlet is my soul mate. Penelope wasn’t.”
He rolled his eyes. “Kill me now. I know you think you’re in love and all that but—”
“I am in love. I hope you find it someday too.”
“Not if I’m going to act like this.”
“It’s not so bad.” I took a drink of my beer and watched the game. “I’ve never been happier in my life.”
“I shouldn’t have come on this trip, not when I’m the only single guy.”
“You should settle down, then.”
“I can’t find anyone worth settling down with. How did you meet your girls?”
Ryan looked at me. “Through Scarlet.”
Mike looked at Cortland. “And you?”
“Work.”
“How did you and Scarlet meet again?” Mike asked me.
“In college. I was dating a friend of hers so I never went for her. I’m really glad that I didn’t.”
“Why?”
“I was an asshole then. I wouldn’t have treated Scarlet right. I’m glad that our relationship worked out this way. It’s perfect. I was never carefree or relaxed when I was with Penelope. I felt like I had to always put on a show to keep her around, and she didn’t end up sticking around anyway. Scarlet understands all of my flaws and shortcomings. She doesn’t judge them or use them against me. I can be myself in every way. She’s my best friend and the best sex I’ve ever had.” I looked at Ryan. “Sorry.”
“You think I don’t hear all the details from her?” he said with a laugh.
Mike made a disgusted face. “Are you sure you want to marry into that?”
“I already did.” I looked at my brother. “I know you think I’m lame for settling down, bring
ing my fiancé on my bachelor party, and for being in love and monogamous with one person, but your snide remarks and comments aren’t going to change anything. I know you love Scarlet, and deep down in there you love me, even though we’ve practically killed each other. Please just be supportive. In the end, it doesn’t change anything, but it makes it easier for me.”
He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry, man. I guess I’m just miserable and I like to bring everyone down with me.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. That was the mushiest, most heartfelt thing I ever heard my brother say. “I’m sorry.”
“You guys seemed to have everything figured out, while I’m almost thirty and can’t find anyone worthy of my time. I’m not sure if I’m just picky or a complete asshole.”
“I’m thirty,” Ryan said. “The first time I fell in love I was thirty. It’s not too late.”
Mike shrugged. “It’s hard to meet someone. Everyone my age has kids or is divorced.”
“Go for a younger girl,” Cortland said. “You’re a good looking guy and you’re successful. It can’t be that hard.”
Mike took a drink of his beer but didn’t say anything.
I watched him for a moment before I looked at the television. I understood my brother a little better now than I did before. Behind that macho façade was a lonely person that envied the love I had for Scarlet. Every day I was with her, the more I realized how lucky I was that Scarlet picked me. She seemed to enchant everyone around her. First, Cortland, and now my brother. I was a lucky bastard and I knew it.