Ripple effect, p.6
Ripple Effect, page 6
part #1 of Effect Series Series
Before she had a chance to delve deeper into the reason behind my sleep deprivation, which happened to be her, I asked, “Want to go to the bar and get a drink? I believe we still have a date with the Tantra Chair.”
She looked up at the ceiling, and I noticed she was twirling her ring on her right finger.
“Can I ask you something first? But I don’t want you to think I’m looking for compliments?”
“Ainsley, you can ask me anything.”
She took a deep breath and looked toward me. My guard went up slightly as I wondered what she was going to ask. It was still hard to read what was going on inside that head of hers.
“Am I handling this okay? This is completely out of my element, and I want to make sure I’m doing this right. You won’t hurt my feelings if I should be doing something differently with the whole sex-without-strings angle.”
This was her insecure side, and I wondered what had made her that way.
“How do you feel right now? How does what we’re doing make you feel?”
Her pale blue eyes got a faraway look in them as she thought. Her focus shifted to me as she said, “I can’t think of anything but amazing, more than amazing actually. I can’t describe it, but it’s the freest I’ve ever felt.”
“Then, you’re doing it perfectly. When you’re here, think about the now. Nothing outside these walls matters. The here, the now, our connection, our pleasure—that’s all that matters. This is our escape from reality.”
She rose and gently pressed her lips to mine. “Thank you.”
The kiss felt too intimate to me, and I pulled back quickly before settling down on the pillow. “Did anyone bother you tonight? I’m sorry I wasn’t there to meet you in the parking lot.”
“No, no one bothered me. Trigger had Snake show me to your office.”
“Good.”
She yawned, and it was contagious as I followed. My eyes began to feel heavy. Listening to Ainsley’s even breathing had my eyes shutting, and I drifted off. I was still so tired.
“Adam? What time is it?”
My body was wrapped around Ainsley’s. Peering over to the clock, I groggily said, “It’s after three.”
She started to move, and I automatically pulled her closer to me.
“Adam, I need to go home. I was supposed to leave at midnight. I have to be at work at nine.”
Realizing what I was doing, I let her go. Shit, I was cuddling. I might as well put a pink pansy-ass bow on my head. I turned on the lamp.
Moving off the bed, she went to gather her clothes in the dim light from the light I’d turned on. I followed to find my own clothes. We dressed to the sound of the ticking clock.
Ainsley was about to put on her T-shirt when she giggled. “I think I’m going to need to borrow one of your shirts, Adam. Um…I guess we were a bit excited.” She giggled again as she held up her shirt.
It was torn up the middle.
I had been crazed out of my mind to get inside her. “Shit, I’m sorry. Let me find you something.”
Heading into the small closet, I grabbed a red T-shirt off the hanger. “This will be a little big, but it will keep you covered.”
She took it from me and slipped it on. “Thanks. I just need something to get home in. I’ll wash it and bring it back to you.”
“That works. I’ll get you a new T-shirt.”
She bit her lip. “It’s okay. It was fun having you want me like that.”
I grabbed her hand, and we left the room. We made our way through the club that was alive.
Her insecure comments from before still bothered me.
Did whatever asshole she was with before not make her feel desired and wanted? Fucking moron.
Trigger was standing post at the VIP door.
As we walked past, I said, “I’ll be back in a bit. Let Brandt know.”
“Sounds good, man. I will.”
Three loud assholes were hanging out in the parking lot. They were eyeing Ainsley as we walked by. Instinctually, I pulled her closer to me in a possessive manner. Over my shoulder, I looked them over as we walked. It looked like one was about to say something until he made eye contact with me.
Good choice.
As we approached her car, I veered us to the passenger side. “Let me take you home.” I was going to try to take the nondemanding route, but in reality, that wasn’t an option.
“It’s okay. I’m about twenty minutes from here. I’m a little tired, but I’ll be okay. College student, remember?”
She began rummaging through her purse and pulled out her keys.
Lightly placing my hand on hers, I said, “It’s late, and I’ll feel better if you let me. I’ll have a car come by and pick me up.”
Ainsley yawned again and nodded, releasing the car keys to me. Opening the door for her, she got in and laid her head back. She was exhausted. Going to the driver’s side, I got in and started her small car. It smelled like her, and my dick started to liven up.
Down, boy. We are not inside the club.
Ainsley hit a few buttons on her GPS. “This will take you right to my apartment. I’m in unit nine. You can park in either parking spot for my apartment.”
She yawned again and closed her eyes. Ainsley fell back asleep before we even left the parking lot.
After following the directions, I found she lived in a typical college housing unit. Buildings of bland colors with no shrubbery were lined up side by side in the complex. I pulled into the lot. Her unit was on the ground floor. Without awaking her, I first went to her apartment door and found the door key on her key ring. Walking through the door, the place was slightly illuminated by the stove light she had left on. The living room, kitchen, and eating area were all one room. Looking down the small hallway, a bathroom appeared on the right side, and her bedroom was on the left. There was nothing extravagant in the simple apartment.
Heading back to the car, I got her out and carried her into her home. Being careful not to bump Ainsley into anything, I went to her bed. The covers were already pulled back from not making the bed this morning.
Gently, I set her down. “Ainsley, baby, I’m going to take off your pants, so you can sleep better, and I’ll set your alarm for seven thirty.”
“Mmmkay.”
She was gone. I took off her shoes and then slipped her pants off her body. Seeing her like this had me wanting her again. I had wasted all my damn time with her tonight sleeping.
Son of a bitch!
Covering her back up, she moaned and said, “Thank you, Adam.”
Just the sound and knowing how I could have her screaming in pleasure was enough to make me step toward her.
Shit, I’m in her home. I can’t do this in her home. We can only fuck at the club.
I turned and walked out of the room, needing to break the connection. I had almost broken one of my cardinal rules.
Sex is to only happen at the club.
It was what kept partners from getting all dopey-eyed at the thought of having something more. I pulled up the app on my phone to call a cab and put in the info. Locking the door from the inside, I stepped outside to wait. At least if I was locked out of her house, I wouldn’t be tempted to say screw it and bury myself in her.
Shit.
I started pacing as I waited.
I was going to have to work on redrawing the boundaries that I had let blur.
My alarm was buzzing. Blindly reaching over, I hit the snooze button. Pushing myself off the bed, I went to my bathroom across the hall and flipped on the light. I wanted more sleep. Grabbing my toothbrush, I put the toothpaste on it and began leisurely brushing my teeth. When I glanced in the mirror, I saw Adam’s shirt on my body, and I froze, remembering him bringing me home and kissing me good night. Confusing emotions swirled within me as I rinsed out my mouth. At times, over the last two days, it’d felt like what Adam and I were doing was beginning to become more.
No way. He was clear. This is just fun. No attachments.
Turning on the shower, I pulled off his shirt and set it aside before getting underneath the cascading hot water. I’d refused to smell the T-shirt because I knew it would smell like Adam. I was glad I had been half gone to the world last night when he brought me home. Knowing how badly I’d wanted him, I might have tried to do something to have more sex with him while being outside of the club walls. That was against his rules, so it had been for the best. The way he could make me feel was beyond anything Jarrod had. Jarrod had always been more concerned with himself versus me. Most of the time, I had been left unsatisfied, and I would have to finish myself off. After being with Adam, I could feel the difference in how he would take care of my needs.
Getting out of the shower, I combed through my brown hair. Next, I put on a little blush and mascara. Normally, I used very little makeup, except for when I would go to the club. My hair was straight as a board, so I normally didn’t use a hair dryer. It looked the same, regardless if I’d dried it or not. Then, I put on a light summer dress.
My phone rang, and I was slightly disappointed when I saw my mom’s name flashing across the screen. I had hoped it would be Adam, but I quickly pushed the thought aside.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey there. I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days, so I was checking up on you.”
There was no way I was telling Mom about what I’d been doing at Club Envy. It was one of the reasons I had not called her.
“Just studying and working, you know me.” I gave a little shrug even though she couldn’t see it.
Her clock chimed in the background. “Yes, darling, I do. Did you get the invitation to Donna’s party?”
I rolled my eyes. Donna Stevensons was a backstabbing bitch, who had been pretending to be my mom’s friend.
“Yes. I’ll see if I can work my schedule so I can come. I’ve got to run though. I don’t want to be late for work. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Ainsley. Come home whenever you can.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Bye.”
I hung up the phone and took a deep breath as I grabbed my keys. I avoided going home as much as possible. She still lived in the same house as I had when I was a child. I hadn’t been home since my mom’s birthday. I would go visit her twice a year for her birthday and Christmas. Otherwise, Mom always came to my place as I used the excuse of being busy with school and work. I loved her, but the memories of what had happened in my childhood home were too painful. Every corner reminded me of something bad.
My mom and I were close, but we both kept secrets from each other. With the club, I had added another secret to the pile. In the end though, she had always been there for me, and she had never let my father touch me. Anytime I’d aggravated my dad, he would take it out on my mom that night. I’d learned to do as I was told, and I never questioned him. Sometimes I wondered if he’d known that I knew what he did to her.
I hate him.
I got in my little car and drove to the campus library. As I was pulling into the parking lot, my phone beeped with a text. It was Nora’s mom, Nancy.
Nancy: My boss has asked if I can take clients out at the last minute. Can you watch Emilyn until ten? I know it’s Friday. If not, I understand.
Me: Of course I can. I’ll pick her up from school.
Nancy: You’re a lifesaver. Thank you!
Me: You’re most welcome. I love watching her when I’m able to.
My day officially sucked. I wanted to see Adam again. I liked the escape and the freeness he could give me from the real world. But Nancy and Nora needed my help more than I needed another orgasm. Adam and I hadn’t made plans tonight, and I refused to put my life on hold for him.
I walked the campus, lost in my thoughts. The old stone steps to the library came into view, and I went inside to clock in. Since the campus was nearly deserted, my task for the last few weeks had been to make sure all books were in their proper place. The project was about halfway completed. It was a mundane task, but it paid the bills. I noticed my manager, Maria, was not at her desk, so I left her a note and headed out to the floor to begin today’s sorting. It was going to be a long day, but the smell of books consoled me and wrapped me in a comforting blanket.
I was headed over to pick Emilyn up early from the kids program she went to during the summer while school was out. It was a little after three as I pulled up to the old red-brick building. I rolled down the window and waited as freshly cut grass invaded my nose.
I had completed another few aisles of books at work today, and my head was tired after alphabetizing all day long. On top of everything, I hadn’t heard from Adam, which bothered me more than I wanted to admit.
Maybe he got his fill of me for a couple of days?
It was ridiculous for me to think that we would see each other every day. A teacher escorted Emilyn to the back passenger side of my car. Emilyn threw her backpack across the seat as she got in with a smile.
“Hey there, Squirt. How was your day?”
Emilyn had black hair, like her mother, and a petite frame, like Nora. Her eyes were an emerald green that had so much fire and spark in them.
We smiled at each other in the rearview mirror.
“It was good. Mrs. Thompson showed us how to make a liquid tornado in a two-liter bottle during project time. I made mine with purple liquid.”
I pulled away from the curb. “Oh, that sounds fun. I remember doing those as a kid. How does spaghetti sound for dinner? If that sounds okay, I need to stop by the store to get hamburger meat and noodles.”
“Sounds great. I love spending time with you, Ainsley.”
Her sweet little voice warmed my heart and lightened my sour mood, distancing Adam from my thoughts.
“Me, too, Squirt.”
We drove to the local grocery story and got out of the car. After paying the club fee to Adam, I had exactly fifty-two dollars and sixty-seven cents in my bank account. Things were tight, but I could make it on my own. I would get another check from the library this week. My academic scholarship covered my tuition, rent, and utilities. As long as I didn’t go crazy spending money, I could get by comfortably. There wasn’t a lot of extra money each month, but I was on my own, and that was what mattered.
I grabbed a shopping basket, and Emilyn and I began heading back to the meat department.
“What movie do you want to watch tonight, Squirt?”
I already knew the answer before Emilyn responded.
“Can we watch The Last Unicorn? I love Prince Lir. I asked my mom for that movie for my birthday.”
Her birthday was coming up in December, and I had already asked Nancy if I could get the movie for her. She had fallen in love with it when we watched it at my house one of the first times I had kept her. Watching that movie with my mom was one of my fondest childhood memories.
“I think that sounds like the perfect date.”
We grabbed some wheat noodles on the way to the meat section.
“Can we get some garlic bread, Ainsley?”
I grabbed a small thing of hamburger meat. I had a huge can of tomato sauce in the cabinet at home that I had bought when it was a two-for-one deal.
“I have some regular bread at home. We can put butter and garlic salt on it. It’ll be cheaper. Does that sound good?”
“Yes, that sounds fun. Ainsley, why is that guy staring at you?”
Emilyn took her little hand and pointed to someone behind me.
Crap. Now some guy knows we’re talking about him. How am I going to handle this suavely?
Slowly, I peered over my shoulder and froze when my eyes met those brown ones that had been in most of my thoughts as of late.
Adam.
I gave him a shy smile, and he began walking toward us. He had on a baseball cap, T-shirt, and jeans. The way he looked me over had me melting. I turned to face him fully, and I drank in the sight of him.
He spoke first, “Hey there.”
“Hey.”
He is gorgeous.
I knew I had that look of lust in my eyes with how he quirked his mouth, but I didn’t care. It was hard to believe last night we had been intimate with each other.
A little set of hands began pulling on my elbow as Adam and I continued to be locked in a trance.
“Who is he, Ainsley? Who is this guy smiling at you funny?”
I pressed my lips together. Adam seemed to be at a loss for words, too, as he looked down at Emilyn.
“Um…this is Adam, my, um…he’s, um…my man friend. Yes, he’s my man friend at the grocery store. He’s, um…shopping.”
Oh geez, I’m an idiot, a total non-loquacious, blabbering imbecile.
“Man friend? What’s a man friend, Ainsley?”
Adam raised an eyebrow at me and chuckled. I wanted to slap his chest for not helping in this matter. At least Emilyn was only questioning his title versus how I had stumbled through that explanation.
Little Emilyn’s voice pressed on with a question, “What’s a man friend?”
I looked down at her, trying to get my thoughts together. “Well, it’s a man who’s a friend. Adam, this is my friend Emilyn.”
Please let this awkward moment end. Kill. Me. Now.
Adam crouched down to be at eye level with Emilyn. “It’s nice to meet you. Ainsley has told me how much fun you have together. What are you doing tonight?”
Emilyn pointed to the basket. “My mom has to go out to dinner with people tonight, so Ainsley is watching me. It’s going to be fun. We’re making spaghetti and then watching The Last Unicorn. It’s cheaper to make garlic bread out of bread at home, so that’s what we are going to do.”
“I bet it is.” Adam stood up. “Is there anything else you need to get?”
His voice was deep, and it curled my toes. I had to keep reminding myself that a seven-year-old was beside me, and Adam and I were outside the club walls.
I looked in my basket, making sure I had both things I needed since my mind was a scrambled mess. “I’ve got everything.”
“Good. I’ll walk you up to the front.”
I wanted nothing but to spend a little more time with him. I actually missed him after seeing him for the last three nights.
