As I reach the second story, Celia emerges from the bathroom, freshly showered, her long dark hair in wet waves over a tattered terry cloth robe. She waves at me and continues onward to her room, smelling fucking incredible, bare feet leaving a damp trail I follow as my eyes slide up the backs of her naked calves, corded with muscle, the swaying hips as she tightens the belt and disappears, the antique door handle loudly clicking behind her. I swear under my breath at how badly I want that woman. If she’s not meant for me, then God has a wicked sense of humor.
Stripping naked I lock the door to make sure nobody walks in on the beating I’m about to give my cock. With hot water slipping down my body, rinsing sweat, blood, and hard work away, I grab a firm hold of my hardening length and groan with relief. As I imagine Celia in here just seconds before me, I give myself a good pounding that builds in intensity with each passing second.
She was under this stream.
That body that I can’t stop lusting after during training was naked right here in this same spot. Those painted on leggings, she stripped those motherfuckers off, stood completely naked right where I’m standing.
Ceels was all skin, breasts glistening, ass curved under the pressure of this exact shower.
My thick vein bulges under my fingers as my cock turns crimson, head increasingly more sensitive with every pump of my desperate fist. Groaning I picture that I’m inside her, hearing her moan. She’s opening her lips for my kiss, her legs for my cock. She’s whispering my name…Atlas.
My eyes fly open, fantasy completely fucking ruined.
Cussing a million words in one breath I drop my wilting erection and grab the soap.
The door bangs as Atlas shouts, “Don’t use all the hot water!”
Forcing myself to be casual I call back to him, “I’m coming out!”
But I’m not cumming.
And that’s the last time I torture myself.
I must focus on one thing.
Only one.
Enough with the unrequited attraction shit.
I’ve got work to do.
CHAPTER 24
C ELIA
A fter a month, Sage and I have had enough.
We corner Sofia Sol in the kitchen at lunchtime. Her grey eyes widen as a smile tugs at her lips. “What’s this?”
I snatch her plate, “You’re eating with just us today.”
“Forced girls-time!” Sage shoves her toward the hall. “We’re taking over the big parlor. Already have it set up.”
Sofia Sol laughs, “Candlelight and everything?”
“You’ve had enough candlelight!” Sage fake-growls, tossing her bottles of water. “Catch!”
One after the other three fly through the air. The first two are fine but the third is a teensy bit clumsy. Always funny to make our sexy friend look awkward.
Sage and I corral our smitten badass through the rest of the amused Ciphers.
Luke walks into the TV room and sees us heading down the hall with everyone laughing. “What’s going on?”
“We’re taking your fiancé away from your bad influence!” I shout.
“Help!” She reaches for him.
Acting the part, he starts for her, pretending to be pissed.
But Sean grabs him, giving him a bear-hold from behind. “I’ve got him! Run, Forrest Run!”
Over the fresh round of laughter, Sage melodramatically sings, “I love you, brother, but you are hoarding our friend! We need two hours with her at least, all to our damn selves!”
I jump into view and point at those sapphires, “Keep him on lock down, Sean!”
He gives a devilish grin, “You can count on me!” sending a zing into my chest that I refuse to pay attention to. He’s been so distant with me, so unlike how he was in the beginning. Trouble is, it’s not just Atlas and I training him anymore.
I guess the original bond I felt from him, the one that came so easily, was just a natural result of his needing a friend in the club. Now he’s got five, including Sage. Six, if you include my brother who occasionally joins us. And they seem to get along really well.
In fact he spends more time talking with Tonk Jr. than with me.
We are never, ever, alone. When we eat as a group, I don’t catch him looking at me. I’ve become un-special, if that’s even a word. It is now.
I miss his wink.
Even that grin he just gave wasn’t for me. It was for the family who has started to become his own.
Pulling the sting out of my heart I force a smile as Sage locks the big parlor door, “You’re trapped! Aha!”
Soph strolls to the coffee table we’ve piled with food. “You guys are too funny,” she laughs while setting the water bottles down. “It’s been that bad?”
Plopping onto one of our comfy velvet armchairs I blurt, “Yes! It has been that bad, yes!”
Picking up a strawberry Soph smirks, “You don’t have his cock.”
Sage covers her face. “This is my brother you’re talking about!”
“We talk about sex in our girl time.”
“Ugh.”
Chewing my BBQ sauce smothered burger, I kick Sage’s foot. “Get over it. I don’t want to censor our conversations.”
Soph laughs, “I just saw all your food, Ceels. And I mean allll of it!” To Sage she flatly says, “We need to talk about everything, or it’s fucking boring. Gawd, Melodi really hooked us up!”
“Fine, I’ll do my best not to gag.” Snatching up a french fry, she says, “I know, right? She even made these in the frier so we could have something different than tots! Get in my mouth!”
“You know what I love best about training?” Sofia selects a fry with the perfect amount of crispiness. “That I can eat anything I want. In fact, I need to eat a lot to have enough fuel to stay strong.”
Smiling I lean back with my yummy burger. “It is a plus, but
