Between The Sheets Part 1

Between The Sheets.

by Julie Prestsater.

Dedication

For Lyndsi ...

You're the Melly Belly to my Shel. The Christina to my Meredith. The Carly to my Sam. The Laverne to my Shirley. You're the best best best friend any girl could ever ask for. In the last twenty six years, we've been through it all together. Some of the best times, and some of the worst. Some, I bet, you're hoping never end up in a book. Ha ha. I make no promises. You're part of almost every memory I have of growing up and I can't wait to see what's in store for us in the future. Cheers to you ... my best friend, my sister. best friend any girl could ever ask for. In the last twenty six years, we've been through it all together. Some of the best times, and some of the worst. Some, I bet, you're hoping never end up in a book. Ha ha. I make no promises. You're part of almost every memory I have of growing up and I can't wait to see what's in store for us in the future. Cheers to you ... my best friend, my sister.

Chapter 1

"Can I have this dance, pretty lady?" Tyler holds out his hand, one side of his mouth rising in a s.e.xy grin.

I glance up at him, trying to resist his charm. "Lady huh? Do I look fifty to you?"

"Come on now, Mel. Don't be such a smart a.s.s. Isn't it customary for the best man to dance with the maid of honor?" He rests his hands on his hips and smiles. d.a.m.n him, and and his irresistible charm. My defenses have nothing against the suggestive arch of his brow and the upward curve of his lips. I doubt it's customary for what else he has on mind. He's totally violating every part of my body with his steamy eyes. his irresistible charm. My defenses have nothing against the suggestive arch of his brow and the upward curve of his lips. I doubt it's customary for what else he has on mind. He's totally violating every part of my body with his steamy eyes.

And, I love it.

"Well, if I must." I stand, with a sarcastic sigh, and he engulfs my teeny hand in his strong grip. I've never felt more safe and loved before in my entire life than when I'm with Tyler. This is what this man does to me. With the slightest touch, my insides swirl around like the spin cycle of a washing machine. But the unease isn't all about the sparks flying between us. I only have one week with him and then he's going back home. How can I get that out of my mind long enough to enjoy the time we have together? It doesn't seem possible. Even if he can distract me with his intoxicating stare.

When we reach the hard wood dance floor, he takes my right hand in his, and wraps his other arm around me, resting his palm slightly above my bottom. I can feel his embrace get tighter as he leans down to nuzzle my neck. Inhaling his familiar scent, I get lightheaded and brace myself against his chest so I don't slither down his body into a boneless pile of skin.

I don't think I can ever love anyone more than I love Tyler. I've loved him almost my entire life. I've waited just as long for him to hold me like this and my heart aches knowing it will soon be over, again.

How many times can I really put myself through this? When he left after winter break, I'll admit it-I cried. Sh.e.l.ly doesn't know that and neither does Tyler. They both think I'm this strong Latina woman with tough skin like the beef jerky I eat from the little liquor store near work.

I did get over my divorce rather quickly. That was easy though. The mother f.u.c.ker was cheating on me with some nasty a.s.s blond bimbo from work. As if I was going to waste my time fretting over a man who never had enough time for me, yet he was plenty available to be s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g some colleague on his cherry wood desk in his office. No thank you. Seeing your husband and his mistress all wrapped up with your very own eyes does a lot for the recovery of a broken heart.

But d.a.m.n me for not being able to resist my best friend's brother. I'd kept him at arm's length in high school-mostly-and in college, but recently, at the first opportunity, we're doing the wild thing in Sh.e.l.ly's spare bedroom. I wonder if she's noticed she needs a new mattress in there. Those springs are way too squeaky.

The song plays on. Adele wailing about someone who did her wrong. This is so not wedding music. If I wasn't so happy for my best friend and her Marky Mark Calvin Klein underwear model look alike of a husband, I'd want to slit my wrists.

Tyler loosens his grip. "What are you thinking about, Melly Belly?" Gosh I used to hate it when people called me that. But with Tyler, it's like a sweet love song whispering in my ears.

"I'm thinking about how depressing this song is," I tell him, looking up into his almond-shaped green eyes.

He chuckles. "Yeah, pretty grim for a wedding, huh?"

"More appropriate for a funeral."

"Wedding. Funeral. Aren't they synonymous? I'm sure Matt feels like his life is ending right now."

When I smack him in the chest, he throws his head back with a big belly laugh causing all the guests who were enjoying the sad song to look our way. He snuggles me close again, still giggling in my ear. I can actually feel the goofball shaking with laughter and it makes my heart melt even more.

"You guys look like you're having way too much fun over here. You been hittin' the bar without me, Mel?" Sh.e.l.ly asks.

"Oh no, your brother here is just full of jokes." I punch him in the arm. Then I tell her what he said. Matt laughs along with him until Shel swings her trademark back hand into his chest. That's my girl.

"Let's go get a drink," Shel says, linking her arm in mine. "These two knuckleheads can dance with each other."

I can't help but crack up when Shel orders a beer at the bar. Here she is, in this gorgeous gown, beautiful hair, and stunning makeup, looking like the bell of the ball, elegant from head to toe. And she has a bottle of Newcastle in her hand. Not even a gla.s.s. The bartender offered and she sneered at him like he was crazy, as if he offended her.

She takes a swig and lets out a big "Ahhh" sound.

"Nice, Shel. Very lady like," I tease her.

"Oh excuse me," she snickers. "Let me put my pinky up. Is that better?"

We both laugh.

"Here's to a life full of love, happiness, and wild s.e.x against the wall?" I toast to her.

She clinks her bottle of beer against my rather large gla.s.s of Stella Rosa sweet red wine.

"How about just wild s.e.x anywhere? Against the wall sounds all hot and s.e.xy and all, but it's not all that practical. Downright uncomfortable if you ask me. We've tried."

My bestie is way too frickin' funny. Just when I thought my night was headed south, she comes up with this goofy s.h.i.t and I can't help but laugh and smile.

"Thanks Shel."

"For what?"

"Just because."

I don't have the heart to ruin her day with my misery. I doubt she'd want to hear about how c.r.a.ppy I feel about her brother leaving me yet again. After winter break, I thought I could handle it. Then when he came back for Valentine's Day, when Matt proposed to Sh.e.l.ly in front of the entire school, I knew things were going to be difficult. We spent the weekend together before he went back home to San Francisco, and we've been Skyping, talking on the phone, and texting ever since. But that can only do so much. My heart aches for him the moment he's gone and my body yearns for his touch.

I should really just shut up and enjoy the week we have together before we go back to work.

"Hey," Shel says, startling me.

"What?"

"Do me a favor, would ya?"

"Anything for the most beautiful bride I've ever seen."

She turns to me, narrowing her eyes. This is serious.

"Promise me to forget that Tyler is leaving on Sunday. Pretend like he's not going anywhere. And just let yourself be happy." She squeezes my shoulder and pulls me toward the dance floor.

"Am I that obvious?" I question.

"I know you better than yourself. So promise."

"I promise. I swear to have a week full of happiness, love, and wild s.e.x against the wall with your brother." I grin at her, and she raises a brow at me.

She shakes her head, saying, "T.M.I. Melly Belly, T.M.I."

We make our way back to the dance floor, drinks in hand, already bobbing to the beat.

"Now this is a song I can get down to," Ty says as we reach the guys.

"Get down on it," I tell him, listening to Kool and the Gang blaring from the speakers. "Really?"

"They just don't make songs like this anymore," Matt adds, with a chuckle.

Sh.e.l.ly finishes a gulp of her beer and then says, "Yeah, now the songs just say 'f.u.c.k me' and 'blow me' rather than trying to use metaphors. You really think this old song is about dancing?"

"True dat, sista," I agree with her in our ridiculous slang speak. You just never know when it's going to creep up on you, when Shel and I start talking like we're chillin' with Snoop Dog.

"Why don't you both just zip it and dance?" Ty jokes. He shimmies closer to me, and takes the gla.s.s from my hand. After setting it down on a nearby table, he struts his way back over to me, where he grabs both of my hands in his and starts swaying them back and forth. He turns me around, his hands squeezing my hips. I back myself up into his lap, and we spend the rest of the night grinding and freaking like a bunch of high schoolers at prom. Good thing there aren't any chaperones around to break us apart.

The reception is coming to a close and Matt and Shel are getting ready to make their departure. I still can't believe they've stayed as long as they have. I would've been gone a long time ago and been doing some serious damage back in the hotel room. But, I'm glad she did stay. Dancing and singing with her all night has brought back so many memories. It felt just like old times.

I can still picture our soph.o.m.ore homecoming dance like it was yesterday. My date was a total d.i.c.khead and he left me hanging. Ryan only asked me to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. I wish I would've known that before I said yes. When we got to the dance, the ex got all possessive and wanted nothing to do with her own date. She just had to pick the dance as the place to stake her claim and ask Ryan to get back together. Ty and his date were fairing just as well as I was. His date was only interested in dancing with her girlfriends the entire night and she totally ignored him. I wanted to slap her and tell her she didn't know what she was thinking not taking advantage of her time with such an awesome and gorgeous guy. I would have totally given my entire collection of New Kids on the Block b.u.t.tons and posters to go anywhere on a date with Tyler at that time. Not that I would have ever admitted it.

Tyler saw me holding up the wall while watching Shel and her high school sweetheart, Chase, dance pressed against each other like their life depended on it. Those two were so cute at the time. They looked into each other's eyes, smiling, leaning in for a peck every so often, while they danced to song after song. They wouldn't have cared if I joined them, but watching them was so much more fun. Or heart breaking, maybe, because I wished more than anything to have a relationship like theirs. Maybe it was a good thing that I didn't. Sh.e.l.ly sure as h.e.l.l didn't marry Chase today, thank you very much.

Just when I thought I might burst with jealousy, Ty came over and threw his arm around me. Even then, he was so much taller than I was, so I looked up into his bright happy eyes and he lifted the side of his mouth in a soft smile. He knew I was feeling down. He never asked me, but he knew. He pulled me into a side hug, squeezing my shoulder and resting his head on mine.

"My date ditched me, Melly Belly," he had said, pouting his lips jokingly. "Will you save my reputation of being a stud and dance with me?"

We walked out on that dance floor, hand in hand, and he pretended like I was the only girl who mattered to him. He never mentioned anything about how my a.s.shole date left me in a lurch. He made it seem like he was the one who needed saving, when in reality, he could've had any girl he wanted within seconds.

Instead, he was mine.

For the night.

Just like now.

But this time, I get a week before he turns back into a pumpkin.

"I can't believe you caught the bouquet and I caught the garter. Coincidence?" Ty says, wiggling his brows up and down, as we walk to the car.

"Coincidence, my a.s.s." I tell him. "Your sister probably paid all the girls to let me get it. And gimme a break. Did you see the bachelors out there? Those guys are perpetual players. They'll never get married. They ran from it like it had herpes."

"I didn't run," Ty says.

What am I supposed to say to that?

No. He didn't run. But on Sunday, he will. What the h.e.l.l was I thinking starting something with someone who lives nine hours up the state from me? Really? What the h.e.l.l was I thinking?

Oh, I know. I was thinking Tyler is here, he's flirting, and he wants me. I'm single. He's single. And I've been waiting for this my whole life. As if I was going to pa.s.s up my chance to sleep with the man I've only fantasized about since I was old enough to understand what fantasies were.

So I don't say anything. For once, I keep my big trap shut.

Ty opens the pa.s.senger side door for me and I slide in. He walks around to his side, hops in, and we drive the entire way to my house without talking. Instead, he listens to my off-key sing-along with his hand covering mine. He turns his head to smile at me as I finish belting out a Lady Antebellum ballad. If I rocked out to Metallica, maybe he'd join me. Instead, he just listens to my horrid vocal skills.

I might be sucky, but I get a total high from singing my favorite tunes.

Singing allows me to release my emotions, stress, and it just makes me feel dang good.

If the poor guy's ears have to bleed so I can be happy, then so be it.

As soon as we get through the doors, I make my way to my family room and plop myself on my sofa. I stare at the empty dog bed in front of the ottoman and wish I hadn't asked my mom to dog sit. I want to snuggle with my babies.

"Tired?" Ty asks.

"Not really." I reply. "My feet are killing me though." I kick off my heels, and they fall to the floor. Then I think better of it, and reach down to prop them up so they're not thrown on their sides.

"Why didn't you tell Shel you didn't want to wear those six-inch f.u.c.k me pumps?" he says, sitting next to me, and pulling my feet into his lap. I sink back into the pillows and allow him to ma.s.sage the soreness away.

"She didn't pick them. I did. I've always wanted some Louboutins, but would never spend the money on them. What better excuse than being your best friend's maid of honor to get you to fork over the dough." There's just something about those red soles that I had to have. But now that my toesies are ready to crack off and the b.a.l.l.s of my feet feel like I've been walking on coals all day, I'm thinking I should have just gone with some chunky Aerosoles or Crocs. I wore white Chucks under my Cinderella gown for my first wedding so I don't know what possessed me to get all sw.a.n.ky for Shel's big day.

"I see," Ty says, working the arch of my left foot. "So what are our plans for the week?"

I hear Tyler talking but can hardly focus on his words while my feet are being manhandled by his big strong hands. I gaze up at him, barely opening my eyelids, and he grins, his eyes getting darker with desire. The look is definitely there.

"I don't know about the rest of the week, but I know what I'd like to do right now." I raise a brow at him. He raises one back at me.