“So it’s about clout?” I asked, for the first time ever losing a brief bit of respect for the woman I cared about so much. “That’s not like you. The Royal Court has changed you.”
Cherri opened her mouth as if she was going to deny it but then stopped. She looked back out over the city and didn’t say anything else for a while. She sat, looking at the city and the setting sun, and I could see the pain in her face. She was fighting off saying more, and the very last thing I ever wanted was to stifle her if she wanted to talk to me about something, even if she thought I would disapprove.
“What, Cherri?” I asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“Hey.” I touched her arm gently, and she glanced sideways at me. “Tell me. I’m sorry. No more judgemental stuff. I shouldn’t have said that stuff to begin with.”
“Really?” she said.
“Yeah, come on. You know I’m not in any place to judge anyone. You just have to know, when it comes to you, it’s a little more serious for me,” I said.
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I know. Thanks.” She shifted so that she was facing me directly and pulled the blanket a little tighter around her body. “Honestly, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
A little chuckle escaped her lips. “I mean, this all happened so…suddenly. My dad got promoted not long after you left, and by Christmas, I was introduced to The Royal Court. They asked me to join them, and I didn’t really have anyone else, so I did.”
“That makes sense,” I replied.
Cherri pulled her knees up and set her head on top of them. “That’s all the last four years of my life have been, just doing what seems to make the most sense, even if I’m not entirely sure it’s what I want.”
“Have you ever really thought about it?” I asked.
Before she could answer, Cherri shivered and attempted to pull the blanket closer, but it was pretty much maxed out. I scooted a little closer to Cherri, perching my legs on either side of her so that I could settle my arms at her side and hold her close. I rubbed my arms along her arms a little bit to spread some body heat around.
“Is this okay?” I asked.
Cherri’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at me. “Yeah. This is wonderful.”
I grinned back at her. “Good.”
Cherri cleared her throat as a gentle blush rose to her cheeks. “Um, what was your question?”
“Have you ever really thought about it? About what you really want?” I asked again.
Cherri was quiet for a long while. Her expression was calculating like she was really trying to figure it out. Finally, she looked up at me. “I want you.”
That wasn’t the answer I was expecting, but it covered my body with chills. “I want you too.”
The way Cherri eyed me in the wake of that confession left me powerless to resist her. Even though I had no intention of being a guy on the side or letting anyone, Cherri included, use me, I was still just a human. I’d waited four years—hell, longer—to kiss Cherri. We’d been interrupted the night before, but with the evening air whipping around us in our secluded spot, there was nothing to hold me back. I brought my hand up to settle against Cherri’s cheek, and she didn’t pull away as I leaned in and placed my lips on hers. She took a soft breath in as we met and held it while we melded against one another, releasing it only as we pulled away.
I took a deep breath. It felt like years of weight had been lifted off my shoulders. “I have wanted to do that for a very long time.”
Cherri grinned. “Me too.”
Nothing in me wanted to ruin the moment. Cherri was looking at me with that gaze that told me we could go further, but I wasn’t about to fight with Nathan for Cherri’s affection. “I don’t like sharing,” I admitted.
She nodded, looking disappointed. “I know. That’s fair.”
I ran a hand through her hair as I said, “But when you’re ready.”
She leaned into my hand and smiled at me. “Yeah. You’ll be my first call.”
15
Cherri
It was a good thing my parents volunteered to chaperone at one of Gus’s out of town school trips because my best effort to keep my voice stifled was failing. My phone chimed in my ear, and I lifted it to find the latest in a string of lewd descriptions Deon had sent me of what awaited me when I was ready to leave Nathan and start a relationship with him.
I’d tie your hands so that you’d have no choice but to do exactly what I want.
With the hand that wasn’t already fastened between my legs to rub, I sent a reply.
Yes, sir. Do whatever you want to me.
Shit, Cherri, I’m close.
Me too. Don’t stop, baby!
The heat in my body swelled higher and higher until I felt like I was going to be engulfed in flames in the best way. My legs shook and shuddered as I brought myself to climax with the thoughts of giving myself over to Deon filling my brain. A scream I couldn’t control escaped my lips, and then I collapsed against my bed, taking deep breaths in and out.
We are definitely going to be late to school now.
That’s your fault for sending pre-shower dick pics.
Guilty. See you soon.
See you.
I didn’t want to go to school. I barely wanted to move. If I had three wishes at my disposal, I’d use one to bring Deon to me, one to poof everyone else out of existence, and the last one to give us an endless amount of time to soak in one
