Page 4 of Love Bitters

As I feel him pull back to rub the head of his cock through my cheeks, I brace both hands on the bed and arch toward him, offering myself on a silver platter. Which he takes advantage of instantly. Without any further insistence from me, he eases himself inside, only meeting the slightest bit of resistance at first. I groan into the blanket at the full and satisfied feeling radiating through my body.

I should’ve known tonight wasn’t going to be a slow and sweet lovemaking. My sexy man tends to bottle his emotions and hold onto them until they burst free in either short angry fits or intense sessions where he lets me help fuck those demons out of him. I much prefer the latter.

He thrusts in and out with quick moves of his hips as I drive back against him every time. A guttural sound slips from between those sinful lips of his at me meeting him pound for pound. Literally.

Bracing himself with one arm on the bed, the other hand reaches up to clench tight beneath my jaw. When he rises back to his knees, he brings me with him. That one grip is the only thing stopping me from face planting back into the bed. Hard muscles press against my back, and I bounce with every thrust of his hips driving his cock deeper.

I’m so close already that when he reaches around to take my own cock in his free hand, I know I’m a fucking goner. I can’t help the movement of my hips while I simultaneously try to fuck his hand all the while impaling myself on him in the process. Both hands squeeze tighter until I’m not sure if the dizziness hitting me is from air loss or that peak of pleasure I find myself falling over.

“Come for me, Red,” he demands in my ear. I don’t think it was intentional, but the use of Imma’s nickname for me is a jolt of lust straight to my cock. My muscles lock, and I groan around the tightness in my throat.

Evan brings his hand up to catch my cum just as I start to feel his release inside of me. It’s a few seconds before his hold turns soft, his lips pressing soft kisses along my neck and shoulder. When he pulls out, we take a moment to clean up before we’re back on the bed with me draped across his chest again.

Neither of us need any kind of confessions or reassurances, so we lay in companionable silence while our breaths mingle until we lull each other to sleep.

Rolling over the next morning, Evan is already up, leaving his spot warm in his wake. I need to get my ass in gear too, or I’ll be late to the studio. For not the first time over the past couple of weeks I curse my job. I love working with up and coming newbie artists, but somedays I’d just like to sleep in, like today.

Propping my hands behind my head, I glance around the space Evan and I have carved out for ourselves. My job doesn’t pay as well as his, but he’s always insisted I do what makes me happy. Not only is he content with being the accountant for one of the largest law firms in the city, he makes damn good money doing it. We could easily get our own apartment, but sharing this place with Wes, Thatcher, and Murphy just makes more sense. We’ve got our own space with only a few shared spots around the apartment. Our room is one of the largest, and Evan took no time at all installing bookcases against several of the walls. One of them is already double stacked and beginning to spill over. It makes me snort softly. He could have an entire house of bookshelves, and it likely wouldn’t be enough.

He managed to get two in the living room too, but those aren’t entirely taken over with books. Wes and Thatch claimed several shelves for different kinds of sports memorabilia. Lately, there have been new objects popping up here and there. Like photos of our Im with one or all of us, or something small she left behind after staying the night. Our token is a cute choker necklace with a tiny heart on it. Evan had fun with that one during an all-night tumble in the sheets. Then she’d taken it off to shower the next morning, leaving it on his bedside table. I don’t think she even meant to do it, but the thoughtless gesture was endearing. As much as Evan hanging it from our photo with her on the shelf. I smile at the silver frame displaying the selfie of the three of us sharing rocky road icecream cones on the little patio beside the dessert stand. That was the night I knew without a doubt I was in love with two people. There was no jealousy watching both my lovers sharing quick kisses and glances at each other. The only thing I felt was an immense amount of love.

From that night on, I started observing the way she was with the others and how we are together with her. None of those feelings ever changed. Doubt hadn’t even thought about creeping in until last night.

A sick feeling drops into my gut, forcing me to reach for my phone from where I threw it last night. My chest squeezes when I see there’s still nothing from her. No new texts. No phone calls. Nothing.

I’m in the middle of writing a new text when the bedroom door opens slowly, giving me enough time to lock the phone and hide it beneath the covers.

“Good morning,” Evan murmurs, padding over to the bed with a steaming cup of coffee.

I slide up, giving him a quick kiss and taking the offered cup before propping against the headboard with my own, “Morning.”

He shoots me a soft smile before letting his eyes drop back to the bed as he runs a hand through the dark strands atop his head. As much bravado as he put on last night, there’s no way to hide it in the morning light.

“Still no word, huh?” I ask gently.

Giving me a quick shake of his head, he replies, “I checked ours first but had hoped maybe she messaged one of the others.”

I bite my lip and ask the same question from last night. “Do you think she’s okay?”

Ever the one to help keep peace, he answers with a reasonable response. “Honestly? Yes, I think she is. If I had to guess, I’d say either she got into it with her parents or something.”

“Or?” I ask, wanting to know the second option even though I know it’s going to hurt.

He shrugs. “Think about it, babe. Since we got back from Tennessee, she’s had the five of us breathing down her neck. It’s possible she needed a breather.”

I swallow the lump in my throat as I voice my fear. “Without telling us, though? That just doesn’t sound like her. What if the breather means she doesn’t come back?”

With a deep sigh, he runs his hand through his hair again before leaning over to put our noses within inches of each other, “What I said last night will still stand. I love you, Olls. Nothing will change that.”

“I love you, too,” I tell him with a quick brush of my lips against his.

“Come on and get up,” he gently orders with a quick tap to the top of my thigh. “If we don’t hurry, we’re both going to be late for work. Give it time. If there’s anything that even needs to be dealt with, we will deal with it later.”

Going against my instincts, I agree with a nod and take a gulp of the liquid courage in my hand before getting my ass out of bed to get dressed.

From the time that Evan drops me off at the studio to the time he returns on his way home, I swear the day drags by slower than molasses. Going against policy, I’ve had my phone out all day, waiting to have my gut proven wrong. Every hour that passes is one more that’s spent wondering where Imma is and what she’s doing, wishing she’d answer me, or any of us for that matter.

By the time I’m locking the doors to the studio, my nerves are frayed threadbare. It’s so bad that my hands shake as I open the door to Evan’s Subaru. His quick kiss does nothing to help and neither does the silent ride home. It’s obvious I’m not the only one feeling the pressure of the day weighing on me.

---