Breathing For The First Time Read online

  “Why don’t we take this in the other room?” Brooke suggests, a throaty voice that would rival any 900 operator, nodding toward her bedroom.

  My breath catches in my throat, but I’m as eager as she is to go there with our relationship. I stand up and reach for her hand, pulling her off the couch and straight into my arms. I brace one hand on the small of her back and the other clutched in her hair before I push against her for another breath halting kiss.

  She guides me to her room and turns on a lamp on her bedside table, casting a gentle glow over the room. The room has a queen sized bed centered on the longest wall, framed by two windows. Two dressers and a full length mirror fill the rest of the space around two doors, for the bathroom and closet. Brooke didn’t decorate much in here, telling me this room is for sleeping, but I’m happy to use it for something a lot more fun tonight.

  Brooke turns back to me and fingers the edge of her shirt, apparently trying to decide if she wants to remove it or not. After a moment’s pause, her fingers lift the garnet top from her soft pale skin to reveal a pair of glorious breasts, still captured under a black satin bra, and a firm stomach. A belly button ring I never knew she had glints in the soft light, teasing me to come closer.

  I cross the room to her side and look into her eyes, taking her hand in mine, careful not to touch any other part of her. “We don’t have to do anything, okay. I don’t want you to feel pressured here. I’m okay with whatever you are. I promise.”

  “Are you saying you don’t want to?” she asks me, a hint of shyness and fear in her voice.

  “Oh, no, I definitely want to,” I tell her, my tone giving away my need for her. I pause before continuing, trying to calm myself down, “I just want to make sure you do.”

  “I’ve wanted this since the moment you shook my hand on the first day of classes.”

  I appreciate that I’m not the only one who’s been waiting for this, and that gives me all the go ahead I need. I pull her against me, pressing her delicious body to mine. I command her with another kiss, running my tongue across her neck down to her breasts. I flip her bra loose and drop it to the floor. Then I lick one nipple and she lets out a groan, dropping her head back. I pull it into my mouth and suck on it, giving her a nibble before releasing it, only to treat the other with the same attention.

  I fumble with her shorts while teasing her nipples and finally free them from her sexy hips. She’s standing before me in garnet lace panties, barely hiding the most precious part of her.

  Brooke accepts my look of admiration of her body with ease, not tearing her eyes off me at any point. She reaches toward me, slipping the button out and the zipper down my shorts with the ease of a practiced magician. My boxers tent in front of me, evidence of my desire for her.

  I pull her back to a kiss and feel my erection peek through my boxers, brushing against the smooth skin on her stomach. I reach between us and slip my boxers down, exposing my body to her, then drop her panties with the other clothes.

  Standing naked in front of each other is both amazing and terrifying. Every other woman I’ve slept with, not that there were many, we got into bed before getting completely undressed. With Brooke, I love having the opportunity to appreciate her body, even though I feel completely vulnerable.

  “You’re beautiful,” she tells me, taking in every inch of me. I smile at her and return the compliment before pulling her against me again, not able to keep my mouth, or my hands, off her for long.

  She lies down on her bed, scooting over enough to give me space. I climb on top of her, asking again if she’s sure about this.

  “If you don’t make love to me soon, I’m going to explode from wanting you.”

  I don’t need more of an invitation than that. I kneel between her legs and slide my fingers into her. The deep valley of her wetness moves against me when my fingers meet her. The slickness of her hardens my erection to almost painful limits, but I’ve waited this long, and it will be worth it to hold out just a few more minutes.

  I remove my fingers from her and trace up to the sweet spot at the edge of her folds. Her eyes meet mine and I know she was hoping for this, but didn’t want to ask for it. I tenderly circle her, setting a steady rhythm with my wet fingers. Her hips move with me, speeding up as I continue moving until she’s panting for me to go faster.

  I increase my speed, pushing her straight to the edge of ecstasy. Her moans fill my ears and my body hums knowing I gave her that pleasure. She bucks up into me as my fingers continue to circle her, pushing her closer to her limit.

  When she’s about to fall over the edge I plunge my erection into her, filling her with every inch of me. Her slick body responds as she wraps her legs tightly around my hips. I keep moving my fingers against her and she moans deeply before screaming my name, burying her face in my neck, and biting my shoulder, hard.

  I absorb the blows she delivers, enjoying the sound of her so completely out of control. As soon as her shuddering slows, I push into her, feeling her body tighten against the intrusion.

  She looks up to me, her eyes filled with sweet happiness and she lowers her hands to my ass, encouraging me to move into her. Her legs keep me pinned tight to her and her breathing speeds up with each thrust. She’s close to a second orgasm now and I want so desperately to hear her my name on her panting lips again.

  I clench my body tight and hold back everything I have, adjusting my position against her legs slightly to push deeper inside her. The deeper I am able to go, the faster her breathing becomes, and the more she moans and digs her nails into me, pulling me closer to her. I increase my speed as she moves with me, screaming aloud.

  When my name escapes her lips I drop my tension to allow my own release. I fill her, pressed deep inside her while she shudders under me, still coming down from her own orgasm.

  The fog clears from my eyes and I look down to Brooke. She’s smiling up at me and reaches to brush a lock of hair from my forehead. Her legs are still wrapped tightly around me like she doesn’t want to let me go. The truth is, I don’t want her to.

  I let my weight fall on her and breathe deeply against her neck, smelling the mix of her sweat, her coconut shampoo, and the intoxicating fuel of our fresh sex all over her.

  Her legs drop after a few moments and I slide out of her, settling next to her. I pull her body against me, stroking her damp hair, and kiss her forehead. “What time are you leaving tomorrow?”

  “Not too early, why?” I ask her, unsure why she’s talking about being apart right now.

  “Do you want to stay for breakfast?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Brooke

  I lean over and peer out the window. From up here, the world looks so different. It’s peaceful, even with kids crying in the back. I look over to Paige who is sleeping peacefully. A part of me wishes I could snap a quick picture of her right now, to add to our collection of embarrassing shots of each other, but Paige looks so calm and peaceful.

  I tried to sleep, but I can’t stop thinking about last night. It was everything I hoped it would be. I close my eyes and can still feel Tyler’s hands on me. God, when he kissed me I felt like I was breathing for the first time.

  The speaker interrupts my thoughts as the flight attendant announces we will be landing soon. I push my tray table up and turn the clip to keep it in place. I nudge Paige and she stirs, slowly coming to.

  I hand my cup to the flight attendant passing through the cabin and Paige pats down her wavy brown hair where she was lying on it. I look out the window again, watching the ground coming closer.

  We grab our bags when the plane stops at the gate and go in search of baggage claim. I scan the crowds for Tiffany Wright, the third part of our trio, but don’t see her. Paige and I wait for our bags.

  “She should be here by now, right?” Paige asks, a hint of worry in her voice.

  “Yeah, her flight was supposed to land before ours, but it could have been delayed.” I pull out my phone to check for messages from Tiffan
y, but don’t have any. I send her a quick text asking where she is.

  Before I get a response, I hear Tiffany. Her teaching career has increased the volume of her voice. Teaching high school math will do that for you. She calls through the crowds to us and we all rush for a group hug.

  Tiffany is the picture of a woman ready for a cruise. Her sunglasses are perched on top of her head, a bouncy brown ponytail playing around her shoulders. Her white shorts show off her impossibly long legs. Being the tallest of the three of us, her legs seem endless, especially when standing next to Paige and me. Tiffany is sporting a brilliant blue tank top, a gauzy fabric making it seem very casual, but stunning against her olive skin.

  People have wondered since our freshman year at USC if the three of us are sisters. Paige and Tiffany share the same soft brown hair, but Tiffany’s is straight where Paige’s is wavy. I’m the lone blonde, but my hair has definitely darkened as I’ve gotten older. We all have the same muddy brown eyes. Paige and Tiffany’s brown hair and brown eyes make them look so stunning and mysterious, and make me slightly jealous.

  I think the thing that makes people wonder the most is how we seem to be able to read each other’s minds. We have conversations that no one else can follow since half of it takes place in code words or implied meanings.

  My favorite part of our friendship is that we always come together and share everything, even when we’ve been apart for a while. This trip will be no exception. We haven’t seen Tiffany since our last cruise, almost nine months ago.

  “I’m so excited,” Tiffany beams. “I’ve been waiting for this all year. I can’t believe it’s finally here!”

  I glance at Paige and see a glimmer of regret wash across her eyes before she returns Tiffany’s excitement. I reach my arm around Paige and give her a squeeze, knowing she’s already missing Dante.

  This Paige is so different than the one from our last cruise, when Paige met Dante, right after we graduated college. That Paige was on the prowl, but today Paige has on a long, yellow Hawaiian print dress, modestly covering her. She’s not a prude, but I know she’s trying not to attract any unwanted attention.

  Paige and Dante are incredible together, and their story is one that makes you believe in true love. After the cruise, they ended up working together and fell in love. I know this trip is the longest they’ve been apart since she moved in with him a few months ago and it’s going to be hard for her.

  She looks to me with her soft brown eyes, the gold sparkling at the thought of Dante, and winks at me, indicating she’ll be okay. The three of us walk outside the airport, arm in arm, to the taxi stand and find a cab to take us to the cruise terminal.

  When we board the ship, we look for our room. The last cruise we went on we stayed on one of the lower floors, in a more affordable room, because we were all broke. This trip, we planned to do the same, but Dante insisted on treating us to a suite. We are so psyched to be living in style, and even have a private balcony.

  We walk into our room and gasp. Paige was in Dante’s suite last time, but Tiffany and I weren’t. This place is awesome. I can’t believe this is home for a week. The first thing that catches my attention is the balcony. Right now we just have a view of the port, but I know we’ll spend a lot of time out there during the trip. I drop my bag on the floor as I cross the room to check out the view.

  I look down at the floors below us. Being out over the ocean like this worries me, but it will be beautiful. Watching the sunset out here will feel like we’re in a fairy tale. Any view on a cruise ship is sensational, but having a private balcony where we can enjoy it without anyone else bugging us, now that’s the way to live!

  I turn back to the room and reluctantly walk inside, reminding myself I can return whenever I want. The three single beds are overflowing with fluffy white pillows and pintucked comforters. I slip my shoes off and am surprised how soft the sand colored carpet is under my bare feet. There is a small TV sitting on top of the honey stained wood dresser and a closet that rivals the one in my apartment, which isn’t saying much about my apartment. The room is definitely designed to allow the balcony and view to be the main focus.

  I walk into the bathroom and am equally impressed. There is a full sized tub and shower with a massaging shower head. The white and sand colored tiles give the space an airy feel, even though there aren’t windows. The toilet is private so we can all be in here together. The double vanity looks like a vintage dresser, painted a soft blue to match the sky on a clear day, but with more storage than we will ever need.

  Tiffany and Paige claim beds, leaving me with the one closest to the balcony, which is perfect for me. We unpack the few things we have in our carry-on bags, claiming two drawers each and are content that we won’t have to fight over closet space. I store my bag on the top shelf of the closet and splash some water on my face.

  The three of us go out to explore the ship, checking out the pools, the ballrooms, even the casino. We go through our emergency drill and head up to the top deck to waive goodbye to the shoreline as the ship pulls out of port.

  As the ship glides out of the bay and away from shore, we turn and retreat to our room. Tiffany had a long flight to Miami from New York, and is ready to relax. Dante insisted on flying Paige and I down here, wanting to be away from Paige for as little time as possible. Flying gave them one more night together, and she’ll be home earlier than if we drove back. Those two are almost too cute.

  Of course that one extra night for Dante and Paige ended up being my first night with Tyler. Lying in my bed I let my mind wander back to last night.

  After waiting for almost seven months to go out with him, I was really looking forward to our night. Kissing him made my entire body tingle, and I just couldn’t get enough of him. I’ve never slept with a guy on the first date, but I didn’t feel like it was a first date with Tyler. We know each other. I care about him, and he cares about me. I know he’s someone I could fall hopelessly in love with.

  Tiffany shocks me from my daydream when she pushes the door to the balcony open. I’m surprised to see the shore so far away, and the sun kissing the ocean. I must have dozed off thinking about Tyler.

  I look at the clock and realize we need to be heading for dinner in about an hour. That’s the great thing about a suite, we have enough mirror space to all get ready at the same time.

  I jump in the shower while Paige and Tiffany get dressed. The shower washes away the ickiness from the plane and my nap. I slip on my white sundress with hot pink and blue flowers dancing around the hem. It’s a fun dress, but won’t make me look too available.

  I’m not sure I should be so presumptuous, but it feels like Tyler and I really connected last night. He was very respectful of me the entire time he was with someone else. He was honest with me about their relationship, and I have no reason to think he would be deceitful now. I can’t wait to see him again.

  Paige, Tiffany, and I pile out of our suite and walk the stairs down to the dining hall. Paige has changed into a pale lavender sundress, and Tiffany traded the shorts for a long green dress that hugs her curvy figure. Of course, we’re all wearing jewelry Paige made.

  As we step off the stairs I scan the crowd, curious about the other people on board. I’m always amazed at the variety of people on a cruise. I watch families corralling children, friends here to have fun, and couples in love.

  My breath catches in my throat and I stop dead in my tracks. I watch as a guy with dark hair, strong shoulders, and a tight ass drapes his arm around a stunning redhead in a sexy black dress.

  Tiffany and Paige aren’t paying attention and run into me. Paige steps on Tiffany’s foot and she yelps. I’m frozen in place when Tiffany asks, “What the hell are you doing?”

  The guy turns and my fears are confirmed. Tyler’s eyes meet mine and guilt flashes across his face. I turn, and run.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Tyler

  Shit. How could I have been so stupid? Brooke told me she was going on a cruise,
why didn’t I ask her which one? I never thought we would be on the same ship for a week. Especially when I’m here with Rachel.

  I freeze when I see her. She ran off as soon as I turned around. Two brunettes followed her, Paige and Tiffany, the best friends from the pictures in her apartment, the ones she talks about all the time.

  How in the world am I going to explain this to her? I know how it looks, and I know what she’s thinking. And last night was... God, it was heaven.

  When I kissed her last night, I felt like I’d found my match. Her body fits against mine so perfectly and she makes me feel whole. Rachel and I were together for almost three years, but I never felt like we were as right as Brooke and me. And now I’ve ruined it.

  I turn back around to Rachel, Jon, and Jessica, my friends from college. Rachel asks, “Is everything okay?” I nod, but catch Jon’s eye. He raises his eyebrows at me, understanding exactly what I’m not telling Rachel.

  I called Jon last week and told him I couldn’t go on the cruise. He begged me to come with them. When I told him about Brooke, he insisted that Rachel knows we’re through and that everything will be fine. Jessica and Rachel are best friends, and Jessica tells Jon everything. If he says we’re good, I told him, I believe him.

  But I don’t know how Brooke is going to feel about the whole thing. Especially since I never told her my plans for spring break.

  I try to push it out of my mind as the doors to the dining room open. We find our table, a cozy four top in one of the corners of the room. I watch the crowd for Brooke but know she won’t be back tonight.

  Jon orders champagne for the table to start the night. As the ship left shore he asked Jessica to marry him. She said yes, so tonight we’re celebrating. Jon and Jessica have been together for almost as long as Rachel and I were.

  I try to focus on my friends, but I’m distracted. I need to talk to Brooke, but I doubt she’s coming out of her room tonight. Without knowing where she is I will have to wait. We have seven days on this cruise ship, and I will find her, and straighten this out.