If Only (Captured) Read online

  I’m lying back on the sofa with a bunch of cushions under my head and my feet resting on Nick’s lap. He’s stroking one of my legs, from the knee down. Su and Zack preferred the option of cushions and comforters on the floor. Uninterested in the entertainment, I decide to admire Nick’s profile. My position is angled partially in the direction of the TV, to the right of me, but my gaze is aimed at him.

  His wispy light brown hair is darkened to almost black by the limited light. Just the flickers from the screen are illuminating the room, giving enough of a glow to enhance the structure and lines of his gorgeous face, a face so intent on those flesh eating bastards. His sexy, but intimidating eyes are also dampened by the darkness. In daylight, they’re smoky-gray and full of certainty.

  I love looking at Nick. On first impressions, he seemed arrogant. Hot, but arrogant. He’s confident, but can appear overly so and that initially hid everything else about him. He’s the type of person you have to get to know before forming a solid opinion of him. Within minutes of speaking to him, for the first time, I liked him. We’ve been an item ever since our first date. Beneath the hard exterior, there’s so much more to him, and now I find that apparent arrogance sexy more than anything else. Falling for Nick was inevitable; he’s a fabulous boyfriend, fun, loving, protective and trustworthy.

  He catches me watching him. He must have sensed my stare. “What?” he mouths, without a sound escaping him.

  “Nothing,” I whisper back, and turn my head in the direction of the box. Temporarily. As soon as he returns his attention to the movie, I switch my focus back to him.

  It’s not long before he’s aware of me again. I smile, fighting back my chuckle. A humored grin curving his lips, Nick shifts from his seated position, at the end of the couch, to lie alongside me. I turn onto my side, to face him, mirroring him. Slipping my finger tips under the hem of his black T-shirt, I make contact with his warm flesh, just above the buckle of his belt. There’s a light dusting of soft hair there, which I tease. His hand moves to rest on my butt, his thumb stroking. Every time Nick touches me it excites me.

  Looking into each other’s eyes, only a few inches between our faces, I breathe in his masculine smelling cologne, focusing on his scent to help me block out the annoying female screams coming from behind me. Moving closer, our lips connect, and I open up for him. His warm breath fills my mouth and the tip of his tongue meets mine, slowly stroking in the sensual, expert way he does.

  Running my palm over the smooth ripples of his perfect abs, I trace his flesh all the way up to his chest and fondle the soft scatter of hair. With a firm grip on my ass, he pulls my pelvis close to his, and now I can feel how hard he is through his jeans. His denim and my short skirt separate us at the moment, and I want our clothes to disappear.

  I lift and drape my top leg over his hip and bring my hand down to the zipper of his pants. I lower it. Sneaking in through the opening, I take hold of his hard, cotton-covered shaft. I’m tempted to have sex with him right here, even with my friends stretched out on the floor a few feet away from us, but I’m all too aware that my mom and dad could arrive home at any point. I can imagine them walking into the living room to find their daughter on the sofa with her boyfriend between her wide-open thighs, giving it to her. That’s definitely not something I want my parents to see. How inconvenient that my house was the only free one tonight?

  Before common sense solidifies in my brain, and as I’m just about to release my grip, Nick’s fingers find their way into my panties. His hands have a roughness to their texture, from all the motocross he does, but his experienced touch is gentle. I like the contrast. Teasing my entrance with a finger tip, I know he’s finding me wet and I know that drives him insane. To say he turns me on is an understatement.

  As he pushes into me, I pop his buttons and release him from his black boxer briefs, his pre-come sticking to my palm as I grasp the head of his cock. I stroke his thick shaft firmly, up and down. He adds a second finger inside me, pushing both in as deep as he can in this position. I really want him to fuck me now. That desire has me gripping him harder, stroking firmer. His breathing deepens and he thrusts into me with more vigor—

  “Jesus, you two, get a room already,” Su calls out to us. We’re still kissing and touching and ignore her. The volume of the TV goes up, surrounding us with what sounds like running footsteps up a flight of stairs.

  I can’t take Nick all the way to climax, not with the kind of mess it would make, but it’s not stopping him from taking me there. His caress over my clit pushes me. I nestle my face against his neck, my eyes closed tightly and my bottom lip caught between my teeth, and suppress my moans as the slow orgasmic waves wash over me.

  Immediately, Nick captures my mouth in a deep kiss. Not only do I love and trust this hot man of mine, but physically we’re so right together. Nick is my Mr. Perfect!

  ****

  Not being old enough to buy alcohol, Su and I got Zack to purchase us a bottle we could take to the party. When we were in BlackArt, Su learned that Adam and Joe’s favorite liquor is Jack Daniel’s. We wanted to bring something, so that’s what we got.

  I also decided on impulse to make my baby cakes; mini cupcakes in various colors, with different flavored cream toppings. A little girly, yes, but honestly, I didn’t see why not. All birthday celebrations I go to get my home-baked treats, even twenty-three and twenty-four year old men it turns out. I made one hundred of them, and two special extras for the birthday boys, throughout the morning and afternoon.

  Su and I arrive, carrying four loaded trays each and the bottle of Jack. As we step out of the elevator, I hear music coming from the open front door at the end of the hall. U-Turn by Usher is playing, and I am in the mood, for sure.

  Two men are standing outside Joe and Adam’s condo, they’re talking and laughing. I’ve never seen them before, but somehow I know who they’ll be. Which one is which? I don’t know, at least, not until the strawberry-blond one looks our way.

  “Girls, you can find the two year old’s birthday party two floors down.” Grinning like the Cheshire cat, this has got to be Gerard.

  “I’m not so sure about that,” I reply, “looking at you, I’m pretty certain this is the two year old’s party. Either that or you do a damn good impression of one.”

  “Pinky, that’s not nice,” he replies, placing his palm over his heart, faking offense.

  “You must be Gerard.” I switch my focus to the other guy and smile. “You must be Dane, the sensible one?”

  He blows out a straight line of cigarette smoke, off to the side. “Hi,” he says, with his lips turning up at the corners in welcome.

  I already like him; he has a nice energy about him. And, looking at him, all I can think is wow! He has skin the color of cocoa and stunning hazel eyes. The gold stud in the right side of his nose totally works, too. “I love your dreadlocks,” I say to him, as I trail their length all the way down to the waistband of his jeans. They’re slender and gathered into a low ponytail, bound by a single lock wrapped around them.

  “Thanks. I like your hair, too.” Just like Joe and Adam, Dane has tattoos covering both of his lean, muscular arms, exposed by the white T-shirt he’s wearing beneath a black and gray vest.

  Gerard doesn’t appear to be like any of them. There’s no denying he’s handsome, and he looks good in the cobalt button-down shirt and black pants he’s wearing, but he isn’t as … raw as his friends, and I feel certain he isn’t inked, either. But he’s definitely the crazy one. I can see it in his playful grin, which hints at wicked behavior, and equally mischievous eyes, the color of a cloudless sky.

  “You brought cakes,” Dane says, offering the same sweet smile he greeted us with.

  “I made them, every last one of them.” I am gloating, yes, but only because this is the most I’ve baked in one day.

  “Wow, there’s a hella those thangs there. You must be Callie?” he says to me. “And you must be Su?” His stare moves to her, as he stubs out his
cigarette in the ashtray he’s holding. He exhales his final breath of smoke.

  I have no idea how he guessed our identities, but we beam and in unison reply, “That’s right.” Already, I feel comfortable here and I’m yet to enter the condo.

  Before I get a chance to say anything else, a woman appears at the door. “Hello,” she says. Her skin is the same tone as Dane’s and her short-cropped hair is dyed platinum-blonde. She’s around an inch taller than me in our, almost identical, stiletto boots. Though I don’t know her, I can tell whose sister she is; they look alike, only her eyes are the shade of milk chocolate, instead of hazel. I also recall that Dane’s sister is Adam’s girlfriend.

  In this moment, they all fall into place, and being here feels great.

  Eleven: Joe

  The condo is full of people I know from the local area and Hillsborough. Music, selected by saffron, plays loud enough to demand extra volume to your voice if you want to talk. I’m standing at the breakfast bar, laden with all kinds of liquor, with my buddy, A.J. The atmosphere, tonight, is awesome.

  I happen to glance over at the front door and notice Callie and Su chatting to Gerard, Dane and Saffron. I don’t know how long they’ve been there, but they’re all laughing and talking like they’re well acquainted.

  The ruffled, short black skirt Callie’s wearing, with high heel ankle boots, makes my mouth water. Visions hit me like a flash; running my tongue up those smooth, sexy legs, all the way to her panties and beyond. The girl is dangerous and she doesn’t even know it. That I find very attractive.

  Alyssa, the chick I have a non-exclusive something going on with, is on vacation, so talking to Callie tonight will be easy. Even though there’s no commitment between Alyssa and me, I wouldn’t disrespect her by getting to know someone else right under her nose.

  I finish up with A.J. and head over.

  Callie sees my approach. “Hey, happy birthday for Wednesday,” she says, with that smile of hers adding further charm to her already cute tone.

  “Happy birthday, Joe,” Su says.

  “Thanks. What’s all this?” I ask, peering down and pointing toward the trays Callie’s holding.

  “Can you believe she made those? Every last one,” Dane says, sounding impressed.

  I look at him and then Callie. “You baked these?”

  “I did. All birthday parties need to have birthday cake, no matter the age of the person or persons. These are my baby cakes.” She beams. I like that detail. What eighteen year old female would make “baby cakes” for two grown men and call them by that name? I like that she doesn’t care, she just did what she wanted to do.

  Lifting the lid, I take a closer inspection. A rainbow of colors and edible decorations fill the container, and I slowly inhale the sweetness of them, still so fresh smelling. And what do you know. Callie is just like her baby cakes; pretty to look at, sweet smelling and so deliciously tempting. I want to taste her, every single inch of her.

  Raising my gaze to her eyes, I’m struck again by something, just like that first day in BlackArt. Right now, I am one hundred percent certain that I have to have this baby cake. I want her to the point it’s almost overpowering.

  What the fuck is this?

  I turn my attention to Gerard and Dane. “Didn’t you guys think it might be polite to offer the young ladies a hand with these?”

  “Shit, sorry,” Gerard says, reaching out to assist Su. “Got all carried away with the conversation.”

  I take Callie’s, and we head in and lay them out in the open kitchen. My partying guests seem surprised, but pleased. In a matter of minutes most of the trays are empty, and now I’m taken aback, again, by the bottle of Jack. Is there nothing about this girl that won’t impress me? It really does seem like she’s been sent from heaven. I just don’t know why I can’t have her.

  Su’s up dancing with Saffron, and Callie’s here at the breakfast bar with me, she’s drinking a margarita. We’re alone. Obviously we’re not totally alone, but we’re the only two here. I just noticed she’s changed her nose stud to a thin silver hoop. It’s damn strange that I actually want to kiss her nose.

  This is a perfect opportunity to talk to her on her own. I get in close enough to her ear, so she can hear me over the music. “Do ya wanna come out on to the balcony?” She smells of apples. It always seems to be a fruity scent, definitely a body wash.

  She nods in answer, and I lead the way.

  We sit under the outdoor heater, on the love seat. Callie’s sitting all sexy and lady-like, with one leg crossed over the other, her cocktail in her hand and resting on her thigh. I relax back on the seat, keeping a few inches between us, though every part of me is screaming to pull her closer. “You and Su seem close. How did you become friends?” I want to know as much as I possibly can about her.

  “I was in the park one day with my dad and my sister, Elena. Su was there with her father. We were eight years old and as soon as we spoke we just clicked. We didn’t want to leave each other when it was time to go home, so Su’s dad invited me to their house with my parents for a tea party. That was it, best friends ever since. She’s more like a sister to me. You and Adam seem close?”

  “Yeah, we always have been. Saffron, Gerard and Dane are like an extension of us, family more than friends.”

  “That’s nice, I like that. Do they live here with you?”

  “Only Saffron. You’ve met Gerard, could you imagine living with him?” She giggles, shaking her head in understanding. “So what type of sculptures do you make?”

  Her luscious lips press together and she hesitates as though considering her answer. “Body parts,” she says.

  My right eyebrow arches with intrigue. “Body parts?”

  She nods. “Yeah, like hands, feet, torsos and heads. Only human, though. I just finished a topless …” She frowns. “Female’s torso,” she finishes, the slightest shade of pink tinting her cheeks. She has absolutely nothing to feel shy or self-conscious about, her body is more than amazing, but I guess it makes sense if she feels awkward about the fact that I have – fortunately – seen her topless.

  “So the human form fascinates you?”

  “Yeah, it does. Often something I see will spontaneously inspire an idea, like the way someone holds something, or the shape or position of a person’s body. I just have to take it from my mind and make it visual.”

  “I relate to that with drawing, but that’s some skill you got.”

  “It all started with a piece of Play-Doh when I was six. I never stopped practicing and progressed on to adult materials like wax and clay. What you do takes skill, I’m a little envious. I’d love to be able to draw, but I’m not so great at it.”

  Before I know it, we’ve been out here for two hours. I’ve been oblivious to anything around us, it could be anyone’s party, I don’t even know what music’s been playing, or if anyone else has been out on the balcony with us. This girl is so comfortable with herself, and what I’ve come to like the most is her easy spirit. She doesn’t really care about money, as long as she has enough, and she loves clothes, preferably from thrift stores or her own creations, and she enjoys simple pleasures like baking cakes. I admire how artistic and creative she is. She tried not to pull a funny face when I told her I love my steaks medium rare, instead, she told me she prefers a tofu steak.

  Callie’s asked me questions, too. Thankfully, we didn’t go near the topics of love or relationships. I’m sure she wouldn’t be impressed with my expeditions where women are concerned. I wouldn’t lie, so I’m happy she didn’t ask anything that would’ve lead to the disclosure of those things. After a messy relationship, in Hillsborough, the last thing I wanted when I relocated to the city was anything involving emotions and attachments. Obviously just fucking chicks can bring its own problems, but nothing deeply poignant on my part.

  I’d take Callie Rogers over every woman I’ve been with combined. I’m positive about that, even though I haven’t known her very long.

  Adam
comes out to us, and I welcome the interruption. I’ve spent so much of the time out here fighting the temptation to kiss Callie, and those glossy lips of hers haven’t helped matters.

  Twelve: Callie

  After talking to Joe, and then Adam, I head back in from the balcony. I see Su dancing with Saffron and Gerard. Hip hop is playing now, and I know my girl will be in her element. Her hair’s pulled up into a funky style, loose crimson strands falling out here and there, and it shows off her pretty heart tattoo on the back of her neck. Su’s beautiful at the best of times, and she has the cutest beauty spot to the right of her upper lip. The black faux leather pants she’s wearing look like they’ve been sprayed on, she’s super hot, and I can see Gerard thinks so, too. He’s got some good moves, I’m surprised to discover. Who’d have thought?

  The place is filled with people dancing and talking, the atmosphere is both lively and chilled. The condo isn’t what I expected for two guys in their early twenties, maybe it’s down to Saffron. It’s modern, with black, white and red making up the color scheme and there’s some amazing black and white photography on the walls. It’s got to be Saffron’s influence. She’s got style, I like it here.

  Just as I intend on joining the girls, I notice Dane coming out of one of the rooms. I like him and I want to speak with him again, so that’s what I’m going to do.

  “Hi,” I say, as loud as I can over the heavy beat.

  “Hey, you,” he smiles, “having a good time?” He leans back against the breakfast bar with his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans.

  “Yeah, it’s great. Nice people and the music’s awesome, it’s perfect.” Admittedly, I haven’t talked to anyone apart from Joe, and a little with Adam, the two guys and Saffron. They’re the ones that matter most, right?

  “I was wondering where you were, you seemed to disappear as soon as you got here,” he says, lowering his head toward my ear so that I can hear him better. His smooth, sure voice seems to carry with ease over the music.