Abe: Four in Hand Read online

  James pursued me hard and fucked me even harder. He was a player. You know the type. He smiled, gave a wink, I ended up with a pair of soaked panties before I turned and walked away.

  Apparently, I was playing hard to get, so he said, which made him have to have me (his words). After three weeks of him asking me out, I agreed to a date.

  Flowers, check.

  Dinner, check.

  A bottle and a half of wine, double check.

  He insisted on walking me into my apartment.

  The first time we had sex. Yes that night, but I will never admit that to my girls, we have rules. Rules which my girl Nikki had already broken, that lucky bitch got a hot guy too. Abe O’Donnell is hot as hell and he is one possessive fickle bastard, and she got him. Where were we, oh yes, James and my first time went something like this.

  ‘We’ve waited long enough, darlin’,’ with that southern drawl and green-ass eyes boring holes into mine, I caved.

  He was big and rough and lasted all of five minutes.

  ‘It’s okay,” I tried making sure he knew I was alright with what had just happened.

  ‘Better than ok, it that was damn good.’

  Uh huh. It’s not like it was awful sex. I mean it was frequent and like I said, he was on the larger than average size. I mean seven inches wasn’t bad, right?

  Apparently, two to three times a day wasn’t enough for James. That’s what he told me when I walked into our apartment and found him fucking the slut down the hall.

  “I need it more, darlin’,” he said, as he stood naked, still hard, while she threw her clothes on. “You put out more often and we’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I laughed as I chucked all my clothes out of the closet.

  “I’ll talk to you later?” I heard the bitch whisper, trying to sound sexy.

  “You have to have more self-respect than that. Did you not just hear what he said to me?”

  “Sex is sex,” she rolled her eyes.

  “Well, just so you know, you just made it to the top of my prayer list. Bless your heart.”

  “You too.”

  “Me?” I squeaked my response.

  “You’re doing him two and three times a day and I’m in need of prayers?”

  “Living together.” I pointed between him and me. I stopped when I realized I was arguing with a slut who had been banging my live-in boyfriend. “Get the fuck out.”

  I bent down, picked up one of my black heels, and hurled it in her direction.

  “Oh my God, she’s crazy!”

  “That’s right, skank.” I yelled.

  I looked over at James and he just looked back at me and smirked. The bastard was smirking, as he held onto himself, naked and hard, and watching the two of us bickering back and forth.

  “You too! Sick bastard.” I snapped at him.

  “Who me?” He looked shocked and pointed to himself.

  Oh. My. God. He was fucking clueless.

  I don’t know what came over me but I started laughing. It was a cross between a belly laugh and a snort, and then tears started falling as I threw everything I owned into a suitcase and two duffle bags.

  Before walking out the door, I looked back at him. He finally had on some basketball shorts.

  “You really gonna leave, darlin’? Where you gonna go? Can’t go home, can’t get back into the dorms.”

  “Can’t stay here with you either.”

  “If I,” he stopped and scratched his head, “If I promise not to do it again, maybe you’ll stay?”

  How is it that I felt more emotion emitting from James at that very moment than I had in the six months we’d been together? I mean, he wasn’t a complete asshole and our first date may have been the last time he showed an ounce of what I would consider a romantic notion.

  I shook my head, as he slowly approached me.

  “Come on, darlin’ give it another shot. Just give me one more try.”

  I shook my head again, harder this time, as he took my hand, “Where you gonna go, Laney?”

  “I’ll find a place?” my voice cracked.

  He shook his head, “Not that easy darlin’.”

  At that moment, the dam broke. I fell apart, and at that moment, James hugged me, which was the second nicest thing he had ever done. He slid the duffle bag strap off my right shoulder and the other off my left. And I stood there and let them drop to the ground as I sobbed against his bare chest.

  He wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my back.

  It was probably the sweetest moment in our entire relationship—until he popped wood.

  Before pulling out of my parking spot, I looked up hoping to see him coming after me, hoping that he would fight for me. I gave it two minutes. One hundred twenty seconds waiting for a man to beg me to come back, a man that I just caught fucking another woman.

  Pathetic. That’s what I was.

  ***

  Mel opened her dorm room door, and I held up a bottle of wine. “Wanna help me drink this?”

  She smiled and stepped back, “I’d never say no to you.”

  “Paige here?” I asked, as I walked in.

  “She’s on a date.”

  “Cool,” I set the bottle down and wiggled my jacket off my shoulders. Mel had that look, the one of concern and question. “What?”

  “Spill it,” she said and turned her back to grab two cups out of the shoebox-sized cabinet that housed their dinnerware. Red Solo cups.

  “It wasn’t fun anymore.” I began.

  “Oh come on, he’s what the third one in three years? It’s not always about fun, Laney.”

  “Don’t you judge me,” I said pouring the Red Cat into my cup.

  “You—”

  “I caught him in bed with the whore down the hall.”

  “No,” her mouth dropped open.

  I took a long drink and nodded as I swallowed.

  “I thought you and he had a great sex life.”

  “Great. Yeah I wouldn’t say great. Frequent, but apparently not frequent enough.” I took another drink as she filled her cup.

  “You can stay here as long as you want, okay?”

  “Mels, I can’t be a fucking mooch for—”

  “You’d do it for us.”

  “What if you get caught? Get into trouble? I won’t put you in that situation. I was stupid to move in with him to begin with.”

  After the bottle of wine was finished and we had male based for a while, I stood up, and yes I stumbled.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I don’t know, my car, the Y, the…”

  “At least stay here tonight. I don’t think Paige will be back, so you can have her bed.”

  I didn’t want to, I mean I really didn’t want to be someone else’s burden.

  “You’re drunk Laney, just stay.”

  I ended up staying from February until May in Mel and Paige’s tiny dorm room. After that night, I never heard from James again.

  ***

  I hadn’t spoken to my parents in months. They had a fit when I moved in with James and I was adamant that I was an adult and could make my own choices. But they banded together, for once in my life, and stood their ground. If I moved in with him, I would not get their support. I told them to take their support and shove it. That night, James lasted a bit longer than his normal five minutes and said, ‘I’m proud of you, darlin’.’

  I stayed out a little later the few nights preceding graduation, not wanting to face my friends, not wanting them to find out what I had been hiding for the past six months.

  They didn’t know that my parents and I were at odds. I knew they would be pissed when they found out. I know I messed up by not telling them, but honestly, it hurt. So what if I didn’t want to share the hurt?

  I even pretended to be sick so I would miss the deadline to fill out the online registration for the commencement ceremony. But my friends weren’t haven’t it. Me? Miss graduation? Hell no. Paige rushed through
her finals prep class and brought home chicken noodle soup so I’d feel well enough fill out the form. At one point, she even offered to feed me right before placing an order for my cap and gown.

  I was so fucked.

  Nikki and Abe arrived two nights before graduation, and stayed in a hotel. The three of us were supposed to meet up for dinner and drinks, but Abe would be staying in to get some work done.

  Outside Nikki’s hotel room, Paige and I anxiously waited to be reunited with our friend. But the moment we laid eyes on her, it was like old time, and in typical us fashion, we hugged, laughed, and she even cried. She was excited to be back. She’d spent the last year of school doing an internship and Abe O’Donnell, CFO of Steel Incorporated.

  You should have seen the look on Abe’s face when the tears started rolling down her cheeks. I’d swear he thought she was upset. He immediately was at her side in protective alpha male form and seemed to enjoy the attention. Hmmm. He was even hotter than I remember.

  “Happy tears, I missed them,” she explained.

  “You’re sure?” he asked he rubbed his knuckles down the side of her cheek and she nodded.

  “Now don’t you have something to do? We are about to embark on a four-hour conversation about all I’ve missed in the past few months,” she looked at us again. “Almost year.”

  After he placed a chaste kiss on her lips, he disappeared into the suite’s master bedroom.

  “You guys don’t mind if we stay in and eat? Order room service? We have so much catching up to do,” Nikki asked.

  We ordered sushi and went through several bottles of wine before the conversation centered on my break up with James.

  “I’m fine. Honest to God. I mean really, what was I gonna do, stick around here? Marry him and move to his hometown where his life will be consumed by his family’s ranch and weekend rodeos? Shit, I was an idiot not to think about the future anyways. What would I be, Mrs. JD Farnsworth the second? The minute his little brother graduated high school last year, his mom ran for the hills. His dad JD Sr.” I air-quoted his name, “Was a complete ass. So let’s talk about something else shall we?”

  “His dad beat his mom?” Nikki looked at me the same way she would at a wounded bird.

  Paige laughed, “Hey at least she gets it now, can’t save them all. Remember Heather? You two tried so hard to help her after her break up. Crazy is crazy right, Mel?”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Mel raised her glass.

  I forced a laugh, excused myself, and retreated to the bathroom. The mere mention of that girl’s name made me sick to my stomach. I hated that bitch, hated her! The girl everyone in high school shunned, the girl that Nikki and I tried so damn hard to help was fucking my father. Not just fucking him, living with him. My mom was on the road with some cross-country hillbilly-riding bitch in a fucking tractor-trailer. My life was turned upside down last year, but with all the things Nikki and Abe had gone through, I’d kept quiet until now. If I’m being truthful, I didn’t want them to know anyway. It was embarrassing.

  The door opened as I was sitting on the cold tile floor. Abe walked in.

  “I apologize. I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

  “It’s fine, Abe.”

  “You alright?”

  “I’m fine, emotional you know. Graduation, all the pomp and circumstance,” I stood and tried laughing it off. “Females, pfftttt. You live with Nikki, I’m sure you understand. Please don’t mention it.”

  He nodded and walked out, closing the door behind him.

  Not two minutes later, the door opened and Nikki walked in, and shut the door. “Spill it.”

  “What?” I tried to act like nothing was going on.

  “You don’t get emotional. Abe said you were upset.”

  “In front of them!”

  “Abe? No. He would never.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s amazing. He gets it. He—” She put her hand on her hip. “You’re deflecting.”

  “Am not,” tears stung my eyes.

  “Are too.” She grabbed my hand. “It’s me. The girl who you talked out of making the biggest mistake of her life not too damn long ago; now talk to me Laney.”

  “I’m not ready,” I stopped when the door opened and Mel and Paige walked in.

  “Not ready for what?” Mel asked and walked over and sat on the counter.

  “Nothing, God. Can’t someone just be emotional? Can’t someone just not want to sit through a stupid ceremony in a damn green gown?

  “Time to spill the beans, Laney,” Paige piped in. “For a long time, I thought it was James but now I know damn well it’s something else.”

  “My parents are getting divorced okay? They’re both assholes too. I haven’t talked to them in months and I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Why haven’t you said anything?”

  “Cause its embarrassing, alright?

  “It happens. My parents divorced when I was ten. It’s not embarrassing; it’s part of life,” Mel smiled. “We’re here for you.”

  “You can’t just walk away from them either. I mean family is family, messed up or not.” Paige interjected.

  “Yes I can. And if you three keep pressuring me, I will walk out of here too.”

  None of them said a word. They knew I was serious.

  ***

  I sat on a bar stool looking at the clock. An hour before graduation, and I was shit faced. I sent the girls a text telling them I wouldn’t be there. Ten minutes later James walked in, alone. He pulled a bar stool up beside me and ordered two shots of tequila. He pushed one over to me and I shook my head.

  “It’s graduation, darlin’. We’re gonna celebrate.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “You know damn well why I’m here. This is my spot. So now ask yourself why you’re here.”

  “Because I’m pathetic.”

  “No you ain’t.” He held up his shot glass. “To graduation and what the future holds.”

  I gave in. Twenty minutes and four shots later we were in the bathroom.

  “You gonna come with me?” he asked as he pulled my skirt up.

  “No.”

  He pulled down my panties, “Step out, darlin’,”

  I did and after he pulled them off, his jeans hit the floor.

  “You ready for a ride?” he asked in that damn drawl as he ripped the condom open and rolled it quickly on.

  “No.” I closed my eyes. I was being fucking ridiculous.

  His fingers ran up my seams and he moaned, “When things hurt, this always makes it feel better darlin’. You sure you ain’t ready? You certainly feel it.” He pushed a finger inside me and everything came alive.

  I reached down and stroked him.

  “That’s right, girl.” He pinned my arms to the wall above my head with one hand.

  “Tell me you want a ride,” he hissed against my lips, as he pushed another finger inside my wetness.

  “I want a ride.” I was ashamed by the need I heard in my voice.

  In one hard swift move, James was inside me. He lifted me up. “Wrap ‘em around me.”

  As I wrapped my legs around him, I glanced at my watch. He laughed. “You got somewhere to be?”

  “Nope.” I said as my back hit the wall.

  “Good answer, now hang on.”

  He was brutal, which is exactly what I wanted right now. I wanted to feel his cock hitting as deep and as hard as possible.

  After I came, he let go too. I glanced at my watch again. Seven minutes. He was up by two minutes.

  “Feel better now?” He asked as he handed me a wad of toilet paper.

  “Nope.” I cleaned myself up, pulled my skirt down, tossed the toilet paper, and started to walk out of the bathroom.

  James grabbed my arm, “Bullshit. Nothing feels better than an orgasm, darlin’.”

  “Maybe not,” I said pulling my arm back, “But you didn’t deserve me again.”

  “I just need more than you
. Didn’t mean I don’t feel it in here for how bad I fucked up.” He hit his chest for emphasis.

  “You have a fucking problem, you know that?”

  “Sure do. Just wanted to make sure you knew it wasn’t you that I had a problem with.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Means I didn’t enjoy hurting you, okay? Means I still wish you were under me every day. Means. Hell, give me another shot, maybe?” He scratched his head, “Come home with me.”

  You have got to be kidding me. “Why?”

  “I won’t fuck anyone else. Hell, this summer’s circuit is crazy. I’ll be getting my ass thrown around by bulls,” he smirked, “Tell me you wouldn’t enjoy seeing that.”

  “No, I wouldn’t.”

  “Cause you’d be worried about my safety. I promise you could doctor up my wounds after each rodeo. Plus where else you gonna go?”

  “I have friends, a degree, big things in store.”

  “There’s jobs on the ranch, some in town. Busy place, you know, not a lot of downtime.”

  I huffed, “Meaning you won’t be passing time by fucking the neighbor?”

  “No I won’t be.”

  “Why is she ugly?”

  “Hideous,” he chuckled.

  I tried to push past him, but he pulled me back, “This is an olive branch, Laney. Take the damn thing and let’s see where it leads. I said I would try. Never done that before. Just. Try.”

  MJ FIELDS

  MJ Fields’s love of writing was in full swing by age eight. Together with her cousins, she wrote a newsletter and sold it to family members. She self-published her first New Adult romance in January 2013. Today, she has completed four self-published series, The Love series, The Wrapped series, The Burning Souls series, and The Men of Steel series. The Norfolk series has one title self-published so far and Ties of Steel, which was acquired by Swoon Romance in June 2014. MJ is a bestselling erotica author and former small business owner, who recently closed the business so she could write full time.

  MJ lives in central New York, surrounded by family and friends. Her house is full of pets, friends, and noise ninety percent of the time, and she would have it no other way.