Troublemaker - Kayley Loring Page 0,66

but oh so quietly.

Is he really not here?

I feel so close to him, surrounded by him. I just wish I could feel the weight of his body on mine. The slick warmth of his skin, the hairs on his chest. His tensed-up legs against mine, toes curling. Exhaling into my ear.

How can I still miss him so much when we just came together online?

I slowly remove my wet, wet hands from my panties and open my eyes, returning to the room.

Alex’s eyes are still closed, his head tilted forward.

I want to kiss those eyelids.

I want to kiss that mouth.

He raises his head and looks at the camera, one corner of his mouth curling upwards.

I look up at myself, in the little square above him. My blonde hair is tousled, my eyes barely open. I have a dumb, lazy smile on my face. And I look beautiful.

I see what he means. For this moment, anyway, I can see how he sees me. And I like it.

He’s wiping himself up. “I brought a towel,” he says.

“You came prepared.”

He laughs at me. “You came pretty hard.”

“I did. I think I’m still coming a little bit.”

“Overachiever. When are you back in LA?”

“Day after tomorrow. I’ll leave after breakfast.”

“Come over to my house. I’ll bring Ryder here to my parents’ house.”

“I have to take Atticus to the library in the afternoon. Maybe after that?”

He drops his head back and groans. “Your passion for teaching kids to read is very inconvenient.”

“It’s not me, it’s my dog. Trust me, I’d definitely prioritize having sex with you over encouraging literacy any day.”

“That’s comforting.”

“Alex…”

“Yes?”

“The next time I see you, I want you to come inside me.”

“Yes.”

“I mean without a condom. We can do that, right? I mean, I can.”

“Yes, ma’am. We can do that.”

“Because I don’t want anything between me and your hot, pulsing cock.”

His eyes widen, and I realize what I just said.

I cover my mouth. “Oh God.”

“Oh, baby. Did Franklin tell you to say that?”

“No. That was all me. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, baby. I can’t wait to see you again.”

We’re silent for many seconds, just smiling at each other. I want to fill the silence with I love you, and it seems like he does too. But it’s there. The feeling’s there, even if the words aren’t yet.

“Good night, Emilia.”

“Good night, Alex. I’ll see you in my dreams.”

31

Alex

Forty-five minutes and two hundred are we there yets after leaving my house, Ryder and I pull into Shane’s driveway in the Pacific Palisades.

Willa had the baby a couple of weeks ago, and Shane’s texts have been brief hilarious shit shows of typos and random emojis. He’s battling insomnia again. I got an email from Grammie, of all people, inviting us over to meet baby Oliver and check in on Shane and Willa. Nico’s car is in the driveway too.

“Is that Tate’s car?!”

“Yup. Nico and Kat are here too.”

“Yessss! Can I stay and hang out with Tate and Lucky even if you leave?”

“Maybe.”

Truth is, I was planning on letting him stay here for the afternoon so my pulsing hot cock and I can spend some time with Emilia when she’s done at the library.

But first—good friends and babies and Grammie Todd.

“Help me carry this bag with the pies in it, okay?”

I give Ryder the shopping bag with my mom’s homemade pies in it and then grab the container of barbecue chicken I grilled this morning. The Millers have a nanny, of course, but it’s her day off, and my mom insisted that people always bring food when they visit new parents. Almost a full minute after buzzing at the front gate, we hear Grammie’s voice on the intercom.

“Hello, Vega men. You may enter.”

The gate clicks open, and Ryder looks up at me, frowning. “You didn’t tell me she’d be here,” he whispers.

I give him a wink, and so does Grammie when we walk up to the front door.

“Nice to see you again, Mr. Ryder. What did you bring me?” She holds her hands out to take the bag from him.

“Pies. From my grandma.”

“Pumpkin and apple, homemade,” I tell her, leaning in to give her an awkward kiss on the cheek as we enter the house and remove our shoes.

“I thought I told you to stop hitting on me, Tongue.”

“Old habits die hard, ma’am.”

And that’s when Grammie Todd gives me a little spank on the ass, and now I’m scared again. Even though this whole house smells like lavender, which is supposed to relax me.

“Kids are in the family room,” she