Crossed Keys

Chapter Ten - Strike

It had rained the night before and left the air fragrant and cool. I turned off the air conditioner during the night and wrapped both Dash and I in the sheets on the bed. It felt magical sleeping beside him like this—watching his nose flare and his lips trembled as he dreamed.

A few times, he whispered my name, moaned then reached underneath the sheets to touch himself. The second time he did it, I replaced his hand with my lips and my tongue. He moaned and grabbed the back of my head, rolling his hips sliding down my throat.

I glanced up to see he'd been awake and licking his lips as he watched me do things we probably should have been ashamed of.

"Strike." He whispered, his body vibrating.

"Shh and come for me." I dared him.

Dash smiled for me and not long later, he came hard.

I pulled him into my arms and exhaled, afraid what would happen when we were forced to face reality again. That fear was like a fist inside my chest, squeezing my heart until I closed my eyes and winced.

But we couldn't stay like that forever. I pushed the pleasure by showering with him, allowing him to jerk me off under the water.

I loved this idea of him—this naughty side that had him smiling up into my face as he drove me wild. This brave side of him told me there was a confident man under the fear I saw in his eyes sometimes when he looked at me.

"I'm not leaving you." I assured him. "Unless that's what you want."

He sighed and dropped his forehead to my chest.

"I want to believe that so bad." His voice cracked. "But I'm scared to hold on to that. I'm scared of trusting myself, to let myself fall for this, for you."

I touched his cheek and Dash closed his eyes and snuggled face into my palm. He held my wrist, holding my hand in place.

"Dash, don't think to much, okay?" I told him. "This is obviously hurting you and that's not what I want. I don't want you in pain."

"Strike..."

"We should get out of the tub," I said. "Joy and Bank should be coming soon, and you should be ready when they get here."

"But—"

Turning, I gathered one of the towels and wrapped it around his shoulders.

"Go." I told him.

Dash left me, reluctance in his eyes. But I smiled at him and reached for the second towel. I wrapped it around my hips and once he closed the door, the strength in me disappeared and I gripped the sink to steady myself.

I wasn't sure how long I remained like that. But when Dash called out he was leaving, I barely managed a reply.

I dressed then, shaved then tried to focus on anything but the fact Dash didn't want to fall in love with me. It was a feeling that felt as if it was stabbing me in the chest each time it entered my head.

I didn't have much time to do anything for me. When I finally stepped out of my fog, I realized I had less than five minutes before Bright arrived. He'd been trying to speak with me since he returned from his day out with Bank the day before, but someone always got in the way.

It was either a phone call or Bank and Joy popping by—something.

He'd insisted we had some time alone before he had to fly out and I'd simply nodded and agreed.

My breakfast was sitting out—I'd ordered enough for Dash and I but he insisted on eating with his friends. I wasn't hungry—it was almost as if because he was there, I didn't have an appetite. Still, Bright and I talked about everything under the sun except the giant elephant in the room.