Eleven Eleven

by Micalea Smeltzer

That makes him eleven years younger than me. Ironic. That it’s my lucky number.

“I’m thirty-two,” I blurt out. He puts his free hand over his heart. “Thank God, we’re both legal.” A stunned laugh escapes me. “That doesn’t bother you? That I’m older than you?” “No.” There isn’t an ounce of hesitation in his response. “Does it bother you that I’m younger?” With a gulp, I survey him, getting lost for a heartbeat in those uniquely green eyes. Shaking myself out of my stupor, I dip my chin. “Yes.” His smile returns. “Good.” “Good?” I rear back. “How is that good?” “It means you’re thinking about me in less than decent ways.” He moves in so close I can feel the heat radiating from him. “Am I wrong?” I don’t respond, but it’s answer enough.

“Come on, Via, what do you say?” He leans in, his mouth pressed to my ear. “Don’t overthink it. Everything is temporary anyway. Me. You. The stars in the sky. We’re all just a blip. Take the risk. I’m worth your while.”

Trembling, I stand, taking in how much taller he is than me. He has to be at least six-three. At five-nine, I tend to tower over other women, and Chase was only a couple of inches taller than me. So this sensation, feeling small, like I’m being swallowed whole by his body, is new for me.

“Wait.” Beneath my palm, his leg his warm and firm. The heat of him instantly soaks into me. “I should drive. You’ve had more to drink than I have. Oh my God, you have to be so drunk. This is so bad. I can’t … I’m taking advantage of you in your inebriated state.” Panic heats my veins. This was such a bad idea. I’m going to kill my little sister for suggesting it. I scramble for the door handle, but he grasps my hand to halt my movements. He looks me up and down, his eyes heated. “You want to … drive my stick?” My heart stutters in my chest, and my jaw drops open in shock. And then I laugh. “Smooth. Real smooth.”

“You can go, Via. I won’t hold it against you.” Somehow, I know he won’t, but despite my nerves, I know I’ll regret it if I get out of this car and leave. “I don’t want to go.” A slow smile quirks his lips, making that delicious dimple wink at me from his right cheek. “Good.”

I pause in the center of Reid’s apartment, suppressing a laugh. “Oh my God, you really do have Candy Land.” The game is spread out over a simple wood coffee table. He locks up behind us and tosses his keys on the kitchen counter. His apartment is tidy and far nicer than mine. It’s not at all what I’d expect of a guy his age. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels, suddenly shy as he watches me take in his space. “Yeah, my niece was over earlier. I was babysitting.” “That’s sweet of you.” Hands still deep in his pockets, he shrugs his

“Because you were sitting there with this lonely look in your eyes.” He brushes a thumb along my jawline. “I wanted to be the reason you didn’t feel that way anymore.”

“That’s the only reason?” With a mock-wince, he gives my thigh a squeeze. “And your tits look fucking amazing in this dress.” The groan that escapes him then is low and guttural. He closes his eyes and breathes in through his nose, then lets it out slowly. “Sorry.” He blinks his eyes open. “I have to be honest.” The boyish grin he gives me has my stomach dipping.

“Don’t get shy on me now,” he coaxes. “Not when my tongue has been all over this sweet pussy.” Heart racing, I open my mouth and suck his fingers clean like he requested. “Good girl,” he growls, biting his lip to contain his victorious smile.

I knew he was big, I felt it, but with his cock bobbing in front of me, I’m at a loss for what the hell I’m supposed to do with this behemoth. “It’s too big,” I squeak. Stroking himself, Reid throws his head back and laughs. “God, Via, you really know what to say to make a man feel good.” I gape up at him. “I’m not trying to flatter you. It’s huge.” He bites his bottom lip, obviously suppressing more laughter, and cups my cheek tenderly. “I’ll be gentle.”

“Are you okay?” “Yeah,” I pant. “Just … be careful. I’m not trying to flatter you when I say you’re big. This is … I’m not used to that.” He smirks, pure male satisfaction settling on his face, and kisses the corner of my mouth. “I’ll be gentle. You set the pace.”

“Fuck, look at us, angel. Look at the way your pussy grips my cock. It’s like I belong inside you.”

I’ve just met this man, and already, I’m addicted. He’s like a drug I’m suddenly sure I can’t live without.

Standing in front of him, I exhale a shaky breath. “Bye, Reid.” He swallows, watching me silently. I take a step to the side, to move closer to my car, but then his hands are on my cheeks and he’s pressing me against the side of his car. A moan escapes me before I can put a leash on the sound. It’s cut off abruptly, though, when his lips are on mine. He devours me in a kiss that sends tingles all the way down to my toes. Holy hell.

As I turn out of the lot, I catch sight of the clock on the dash. 11:11 Dammit.

What Reid is up to is none of my business. He’s probably already forgotten about me.

I want to kiss him. I shouldn’t. I won’t. But I want to, and that’s the scariest fact of all.

“This doesn’t have to be a big deal.” He leans in and presses a gentle kiss below my ear. “Night, Via.” He pulls back, but with an “oh,” he quickly ducks close again and brings his lips to my ear. “I can fuck you better than my dad ever could.”

“Spank your ass raw for going on a date with my dad.” “I-I didn’t know.” A small cry escapes me when he rocks his thick erection against me. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’d give anything for our clothes to slip away. “Unknowingly or not, I want to mark you so you remember which Crawford you belong to.”

“You feel so fucking good, angel. Your pussy squeezes me so tight.”

“Feel the way I fuck you?” His lips brush my ear, eliciting a rush of tingles. “How good it is? How your pussy was made for me? I’m going to ruin you, Via, the same way you’ve ruined me. No man is ever going to make you feel this good. Not the way I can.”

Her throat works with a swallow. “I … I’m partial to the taste of blueberry.” Fuck. I love getting her flustered. “You want me to take a blueberry one?” “I bet it would taste good on you—I mean f-for you,” she quickly stutters.

“Sometimes, even if you don’t know every detail about a person, they can light up your soul.”

“Hey,” he says, his tone infused with happiness. It makes my stomach dip with excitement despite the creature that has infiltrated my apartment.

“You got it?” I shout through the open window. “I did.” He tucks the box under his arm. “You’re safe now, promise.” Heart leaping in my chest, I scurry out of his car and run to him, and without hesitation, I wrap my arms around him and smack a kiss on his cheek. “You’re my hero.” His face turns the cutest shade of pink.

“The painting above your couch?” His lips tick almost imperceptibly, like he wants to smile but is trying not to. My stomach twists and my face heats, but I school my expression and clear my throat. “What about it?” He full-blown grins then. Dammit. I wrap my arms around myself, knowing I’ve been caught.

“You can talk about him. I don’t mind. He’s in your past, and I fully plan on being your future.”

“It’s okay.” I slide a plate in front of her. “You can use me for my body.” Thank fuck my nerves from earlier are disappearing. It took a little time, but I feel more like myself around her again. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” “Oh, absolutely. But I’m not sleeping with you tonight.” I put my own plate down and join her. She looks over at me, brows drawn in offense. “Why not?” “Because I don’t want to have to tell our future kids that I fucked their mom on the first date.” She gapes like a fish, mouth hanging open. “Careful, now’s not the time for me to find something to stuff in your mouth.” Snapping her jaw shut, she shakes her head, her cheeks going pink. “I … I have no words.”

Her eyes pop open. “I haven’t even had a bite of my baked potato, and you’re already requesting a second date?” My answer is quick. Succinct. “Yes.” She squints at me and hums, like she’s weighing the pros and cons. “What do you have to lose?” She spears a piece of asparagus. “You’ve already claimed that in some alternate universe, we have kids, so I guess I have that to lose.” There’s a sadness in the downturn of her lips that I don’t quite understand, but I don’t stop to ponder it. “No, angel, they’ll exist in this one. I assure you. I’d never talk about an alternate universe when it comes to you.”

She clears her throat, an attempt to collect herself. “What are you going to do if I say no?” I pause, eyes steady on her. “Keep asking.” Her brows rise, amusement curling her lips. “Can’t take no for an answer?” “Oh, I most definitely can, but I know you want to say yes.” She snorts. “How can you possibly know that?” I take her in, starting at the top of her head and working my way down. “The way you’re leaning into me tells me you want to be closer to me. And when you lie, your left eye twitches just a little.” She gasps. “It does not.” I raise my hands, giving her my most innocent face. “Trust me, it does.” She lifts a hand like she’s going to prod at her eye, but she stops herself.

Reid is a vibrant splash of color in the dull landscape that is my life. He’s red. Passion and energy. He’s blue. Friendly, a rock I can hold on to against the crash of waves. He’s green. Infallibly positive, with a generous soul. He’s yellow. The optimistic sunshine on my cloudy days. He’s every color in-between streaked across my blank white canvas. No matter where the future takes us, my life is better because I met him.

“But it takes a good friendship to establish a solid foundation. I don’t want to only be your lover. I want to be your person. The one you go to first. The one you think of when you wake up. The one … just the one.” He sounds vulnerable, like he didn’t mean to admit that much.

“All right.” I open the sketchpad and lean back against the couch. “Just let me know if you need me to get naked so you can get the proportions correct.” Her jaw drops open and she sucks in a surprised breath. “Reid!” I laugh. “Sorry, I had to. But if you ever need a nude model for your personal art endeavors, I’m your guy.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” She averts her attention, like she’s afraid that if she looks at me, I’ll see something in her expression she doesn’t want to show me. Ah. It hits me then. I smirk. “You’ve already drawn me.” It’s a statement, not a question. “I … no.” But the way she says no sounds like a lie. I snap my fingers. “You have. What did you draw?” Curiosity is getting the best of me. What about me, my body, attracts her the most? “Reid,” she pleads, closing her eyes. “I want to know.” I’m begging now, but I don’t care. “Please.” She inhales deeply, her chest rising, and taps her fingers on her jean-covered thighs. “Your forearms.” Her eyes drift to where I’ve got my sleeves rolled up. “Your hands. Lips. The dimple in your cheek. Just … you.” Maybe it’s more innocent than the way I perceive it, but even so, I rejoice. Because she likes all of me.

“Why are you here, Via?” She looks away, and when she looks back at me, her eyes are swimming with tears. I hate myself for putting them there. “Because I wanted to see you.” The words are barely a whisper. “Because I like spending time with you. Because I smile every time I see a text from you. Because I fucking like you, Reid. Is that good enough?”

I could fall in love with Reid Crawford. It’s what I think to myself, fighting tears once more. I could love him harder than I ever loved Chase. This man could ruin me in the best way.

The door creaks when I open it, but I doubt he can hear it over the music. I ease out, wanting to catch a glimpse of him before he knows I’m back. He’s moving to the music—not really dancing, but more of a sway—while he sings along. How is he real?

“I didn’t think I liked cuddling,” she whispers so softly I’m not sure the words are meant for me. “But I like cuddling you.”

Freshly shaved, dark hair curling beneath a gray beanie, and shoulders hunched against the chilly wind, he looks absolutely kissable. “Hi,” he says, his nose already turning pink from the cold. I don’t say hi back, not with words, anyway. Standing on my tiptoes, I angle in close and kiss him. I’m craving so much more than a kiss, but this will have to do for now. When I settle back on my feet, he’s grinning at me. “Well, hello,” he croons. “I like that greeting.” I smile back, a sweet ache forming in my chest. “I’ve missed you.”

He grasps me around the legs and hauls me into his body, pulling a gasp from me. “I told you before,” he growls, his lips brushing mine with each word, “that I can fuck you better than my dad. It looks like I’m going to have to remind you of that.”

“I’m not sure if I believe in destiny either,” she admits, her cheeks pink from the brisk cold. “But since I was a little girl, I’ve done this thing. Where I wish on elevens. When the clock turns to 11:11, it’s like a sign. Angel numbers,” she goes on. “The night I came to Parkerville, I wished on 11:11 that this move would be the right thing. I think that wish came true when I met you.”

“Listen.” I rub my hands together and lean forward. “I know this isn’t easy, but I love her. I’m in love with her. She’s not going anywhere. I’m going to marry this woman. I’d make her my wife tomorrow if I thought she’d go for it. You always told me when I met the right woman, I’d know. You were right. I knew it the second I met her.”