Worth the Chance

“Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you ladies.” Matthew leans down and kisses me on the cheek. “Plus, she talked me into driving her here.”

“Driving her here? It’s only a six block walk,” I question, as I shrug off my jacket, which Matthew is behind me to quietly take. Such a gentleman, he reminds me a lot of his dad. When I was little, I remember going places with the Landry’s and always loving the way Mr. Landry jogged around the car to open Mrs. Landry’s door for her. It’s fu

“I can’t walk six blocks in these.” Ally points down to her black open toe shoes. Silver buckles adorn the front, clasping the black leather material together from just above the toes to high on the ankle. The inside of the six inch heel is a bright girly pink, a stark contrast to the sleek, rockeresque shoe you see from the front.

“I don’t get why she buys shoes she can’t walk more than a few steps in,” Matthew says, smiling and shaking his head. Turning his attention to the bartender pouring drinks at the other end of the long bar, he motions with a simple wave of his hand for her to come over. “Still drinking cheap wine?” He looks to me for confirmation and I nod and smile.

Leaning on her brother’s shoulder, Ally responds to Matthew’s earlier comment, “I wear them because they’re hot.”

“Creepy Al. My sister’s shoes can never be hot. Nothing about my sister is hot.”

“Bet you would think they were hot on Liv.” She teases, something catching her attention from the other end of the bar, Ally waves to a guy with a goatee. “I’m go

A full hour goes by and Ally never glances back in our direction…so much for happy hour drinks with my best friend. Although it gives Matthew and me a chance to catch up. It’s been a long time since we’ve really talked. When Ally and I first moved in together, he helped us move and then even came by a few times with his girlfriend Brie.

“How’s Brie?”

Matthew shrugs, “Over.”

“What happened, she seemed really nice?”

“She was. Just wasn’t there.” His face sincere, almost saddened at the recollection, Matthew draws a long pull on his beer and sets it down on the bar. “Can’t control it, although life would be a hell of a lot easier if you could.”

“You can say that again.” I finish my second glass of wine.

“Ally mentioned you were seeing someone. Not the one you would have picked for yourself?”

Vi

Swallowing hard, I turn in my bar stool to find Vi

Matthew stands, his naturally authoritative posture firmly in place. The silent gesture serves only to challenge Vi

“Hi.”

Glancing at Matthew and back to me, Vi

Stepping back, my kiss erasing some of the anger from his face, yet far from all, I introduce the two men. “This is Ally’s brother, Matthew.”

“Matthew, this is...”

“Vince Stone.” Matthew finishes my sentence for me.

“You know him from watching fights?” My eyebrows draw together in confusion.

“Sort of.”

What the hell kind of an answer is that? It’s a yes or no kind of question. “Sort of?” I repeat back to him, waiting for a further explanation.

“Broke up a fight last year in a bar, almost arrested him for busting some loudmouth’s nose.”

Vi

“I hope so.” Matthew looks between Vi

Raking his hands through his hair, Vi

Knowing I needed to tread lightly, I nod quietly and smile at Matthew, careful not to offer him an opening for our usual kiss goodbye. Something in Vi

“Are you upset with me?” Vi

“Should I be?” His eyes lock-on to mine.

“Of course not. Matthew’s like my brother.”

“I’m not worried about him.”

“Then what is it?”

“What’s the answer to his question, Liv?” There’s no need to ask him to clarify the question he’s referring to. He wants to know if my head is aligned with my heart. Would I have picked him for myself if my heart hadn’t made up its mind? I wish I could hide my response, but he’s good at reading me, sees my answer written on my face.

Closing his eyes, almost as if accepting a punishment he deserves, a small nod causes my heart to sink in my chest. Reaching for his hand, I finally respond with words, “I don’t think it matters what we plan for ourselves. Some things in life are just too powerful to change.”

Vi

“Remember? How could I forget? I was sitting up against the tree, and your head was resting on my lap about three inches from my crotch. I had no idea what any of the words you were saying meant, but I liked looking down and watching you…the way your mouth moved. I kept having to shift to keep my dick from poking you in the eye,” Vi

Stopping as we reach his building, I turn and face him, reaching up and wrapping my hands around his neck. The alcohol leaving me feeling bold, I press up on my tippy toes and bring my mouth to his ear. “I went home and touched myself that night. Masturbated for the first time, with a picture of you in my head as I closed my eyes,” I whisper seductively into his ear.

With a growl, Vi

Unlocking the door in a frenzy, he kicks the door shut with his foot, and carries me to his bedroom, gently setting me down at the foot of the bed.

He steps back, drinking me in in a way that makes my insides shudder with anticipation. The way he looks at me, hungry…ravenous with need, makes my blood course through my veins with fury and every sensor on my body goes on high alert, even though he hasn’t even touched me.

“Show me,” he commands, his sexy as sin voice low, guttural in a way that affects me way more than any sound ever should impact a person.

Looking up at him, I know what he wants, yet I look for confirmation anyway. “Show you?” I ask, my voice a whisper.

“Show me how you touched yourself that night.” His voice is still raspy, but more demanding this time. He knows the command in his voice does something to me. Something I can’t even explain. It creates a need to obey when he talks to me like that.