Between The Sheets Part 5

"Well, to some it's offensive," she continues.

"Well so are your t.i.ts popping out the front of your dress and your a.s.s hanging out of the back, but do you hear anyone b.i.t.c.hing about that?"

Her hand shoots to her chest. "My b.r.e.a.s.t.s are not popping out and neither is my behind. For such an educated woman, you sound like a truck driver."

Shel laughs, knowing I'm not gonna stop until this girl shuts up.

"Just because I have my doctorate," which I do, in Family Literacy, "doesn't mean I have to act like a pretentious b.i.t.c.h who uses a plethora of superfluous words just to sound educated. And just because I teach literature doesn't mean I have to quote Shakespeare and Chaucer while I chat with my friends. I turn it on in the cla.s.sroom, and then turn it off and have fun when I'm with my friends. I speak my mind and if you don't like it, find another place to sit." I lean back in my chair and tear off another piece of my bagel.

"Sometimes it's a little hard to be your friend, Mrs. Cruz."

"Touche, Ms. McGallian."

"What was up with that?" Matt asks on our way to cla.s.s.

"Yeah, Mel. What crawled up your Spanx and died?" Shel jokes.

"Are you guys talking about Summer?" That was almost an hour ago. After all the farewell speeches, you'd think they would've forgotten about the little spat. I did.

"Yeah," they both say.

"That was nothing. Just her being her and me being me. I'm over it. I'm sure she is too."

Sh.e.l.ly doesn't say anything right away. I know she's trying to choose the right words in her head before she speaks them. She doesn't need to filter herself for me. She knows this, but it's fun to watch her try.

"Are you p.i.s.sed at her or something? I thought we were cool with her and Chase?"

Matt laughs. "About as cool as we can be. It's not like he's ever going to be my best friend." His confession surprises me. Shel's shocked face says she's surprised too. "What? Come on, Shel. He's your ex-fiance." He leans in to whisper, "He's seen my wife naked." And then he speaks in a regular tone again, "And that makes things a little uncomfortable. I can tolerate him, but I don't want to hang out with them all the time."

"Amen to that Ed Earl," I tell him, holding out my hand for a high-five.

"Ed Earl?" Matt questions.

"You haven't made him watch the movie?" I ask my friend.

She laughs. "No, I guess I haven't. Honey, saddle up, cowboy. Tonight we're going to the chicken ranch."

He gives her an exaggerated frown. "Should I be scared?"

I pat him on his arm. "No, but you better hydrate. You're gonna need some energy after watching Dolly and Burt in The Best Little Wh.o.r.ehouse in Texas The Best Little Wh.o.r.ehouse in Texas."

"I'll keep that in mind," he tells me, and then turns toward my friend. He squeezes his wife's shoulder, gives her a look, and says goodbye as he turns to walk toward his cla.s.sroom.

"He just kissed you with his eyes, didn't he?" I ask her.

"Yeah, that one was just a kiss. But on Monday, you should have seen the look in his eyes. He was totally jumping my bones with his stare. It was kinda hard to teach after that. I know I was blushing. My face was hot and my knees were wobbly. I had to send Meg to get me a Diet c.o.ke from the vending machine in the teacher's lounge so I could cool off."

Her story makes me laugh to full blown snorting. She's flushed right now just talking about it. I sure as h.e.l.l know the feeling though. My student aide, Stephanie, caught me after a heated textathon with Tyler. He had me so hot, a bead of sweat was actually coming down the side of my face. These dang kids have the worst timing, coming in early to cla.s.s and staying in during lunch. Who does that? When Shel and I went to school here, we were never on time.

"I'll see you at lunch," I tell her when we get to my room.

She stops in front of my door. "Don't think you're off the hook. I didn't forget about this morning."

Shel tosses her lunch on my desk shortly after the bell rings.

"What? We're not going to the Carver Bistro today?" I ask, mocking our cafeteria.

She shakes her head. "After your mouth this morning, I thought we'd eat in here."

I duck my head to see inside my mini-fridge and take out my Trader Joe's shrimp surimi salad. My mouth waters just thinking about the c.o.c.ktail dressing. When I'm done gathering my stash, I toss my salad next to Shel's along with a yogurt, string cheese, and a bottle of water. Then, I dig in my desk and pull out a Snickers bar for me and some Dove chocolates for my BFF.

"So, spill. Don't get me wrong. It was hilarious, but that kind of came out of nowhere. What's happening, friend?" she asks, using the back of her hand to keep lettuce from falling out of her mouth. Shel's mom always gets on her case about talking with her mouth full. I'm guilty. It's an occupational hazard. Comes with the teacher territory. We are often trying to do so many things at once, that when it comes time to eat, it's usually in a hurry and we're trying to visit with our friends and colleagues at the same time.

"You know she irritates me sometimes. Did you see what she was wearing? And she had the nerve to tell me I'm cra.s.s. Give me a break."

My friend doesn't let me off the hook. "But you started it with the 'what's so f.u.c.king good about it' comment? You seemed fine this morning before she got there. What gives?"

I let out a sigh, and a cold piece of shrimp flies on the floor. I bend over to pick it up, stalling for more time. I've never had a hard time talking to my best friend before. But it's different now. I can't just say everything that's whirling around in my head. Not when that everything is her big brother.

"So, maybe when I saw her and Chase come in, I got a little jealous or something."

"Jealous of them?" she says with a cringe.

Yeah, I know. The idea makes me want to choke too. "Not them, exactly. You and Matt as well. Couples in general. You and Summer get to see your men every day. At home and at work. I'm lucky if your brother and I catch each other for a Skype call once a week. Text messaging, however hot that may be sometimes, just doesn't cut it. I want to see him. I want his face right here." I put my palm right up to my nose.

She tilts her head, pouty lips framing her mouth. "I'm sorry, Melly Belly. You'll see him soon."

Oh. That's like a kick in the gut. "You make me miss him so much more."

"Why? I don't look like him." She crumples her face at me.

"Yes, you do," I tell her, because she does. "But that's not it. It's the Melly Belly thing. It's really the dumbest nickname I could have ever been pinned with, but he gave it to me. He's been calling me that since ... I can't remember a time he didn't call me that."

"Eww. My brother doesn't call you Melly Belly during s.e.x, does he?" She shudders.

"Eww is right. You just asked about your brother's s.e.x life. That's just all sorts of wrong, Shel."

"Okay," she holds up a hand, "you're right. I will try hard not to call you that anymore. But don't be sad. And don't go picking fights because you miss the big dork. Just think about your vacation. You get to spend a few weeks with him. That might be enough to change your mind. You remember what his room looked like at my parents' house. I can't imagine he's turned into Mr. Clean overnight. I bet he has socks in his seat cushions and sticky counter tops. And good luck with food in that place. You better go grocery shopping on your way there or you're gonna be eating Fruit Loops, PB & Js, and Top Ramen for all your meals. Scrambled eggs and bacon, or Belgian waffles are bound to get old."

I hadn't even thought of that. Please tell me Tyler has grown up enough to, at the very least, run a sponge over spilled jelly and buy Cup-o-Noodles.

Chapter 7

It's Facetime, baby. The call comes through and I'm more than thrilled to accept.

"Hey," Ty's face fills the screen on my phone. "Are you starting the countdown yet? In less than seven days, you get to see this mug in real life. Not on a two inch screen."

The curve of my mouth strains with excitement. "As a matter of fact, I have. Only six days, three hours, twenty five minutes," I glance at my watch, "and thirty six seconds."

His eyes widen and he backs away from the screen. "You're kidding, right?"

"h.e.l.l yes. I'm dying to see you, but that's a little much. Even for me."

"Whew." He pretends to wipe the sweat from his brow. "I was about to run. Stalker!"

We both laugh. "Keep joking and you might end up with a bunny on your stove," I tell him with a wink.

His silly grin shines through, making me want to jump through the phone and kiss every inch of his hard lean body. The tiny mole just below his left eye is calling out to me. When I was younger, I always wanted to touch it. Just a soft brush of my fingertip like it would be something special. I have no idea why, but I was always fascinated by it. It's his trademark. Something that stands out on his face and makes him even s.e.xier than he already is.

A few weeks ago, I had a lone zit on my cheek and wondered why a dark mole on Eva Mendez's face could make her look hot as h.e.l.l, but a little red b.u.mp on my skin made me look like a geeky teenager again.

Thankfully, that little blemish cleared up and I will be seeing my man in less than a week without feeling like I have oily fries smeared all over my face.

"So what's happening?" he asks.

"Not much. I just finished grading so the pressure is off. I don't want anything to keep me from leaving on time, so I've been busting my a.s.s to finish."

"I know the feeling. I've been cleaning up the place here. I know how you are and I don't want you to check into a hotel because I left a pair of socks under my bed."

He knows me too well. "I'm not that bad. Under your bed is fine. But if I found them under your pillow, and they were crusty, I'd bolt."

"Crusty? Oh, Mel. I'm not in junior high anymore. I have a stash of soft hand towels for that." He chuckles and so do I.

"Well, you can put your supply away when I get there. You won't be needing them."

He flutters his brows. "I'm looking forward to it. I have to warn you, the first time will probably last all of two seconds. I've been going to bed stiff every night since you left me at the airport. My b.a.l.l.s are about to burst. They miss you."

"Oh, I'm flattered." I fan myself and bat my lashes at him. "Your nuts miss me. That's like the nicest thing any man has ever said to me."

"Not just my b.a.l.l.s, my d.i.c.k misses you too."

"Really? Just what I've always wanted to hear."

He laughs. "All right. Fine. I miss you too. I miss everything about you. Your smile, your laugh. Your foul mouth and your soft lips. How about you ditch finals and come now?"

The b.u.t.terflies are going wild in my stomach again. "I wish I could. You should have come back here. You're done with school already."

"I was tempted. I almost flew down and surprised you for the weekend but changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Because I'm on detox-apartment duty. I haven't cleaned like this since ... ever."

This makes me crack up until I'm snorting.

"I miss that goofy snort too," he says.

With a dreamy sigh, I tell him, "I miss you too. More than you'll ever know."

The scent of Pine Sol hits me as soon as Tyler opens his door. But before I can even crack a joke, his arms are tightening around my waist, my feet are dangling in the air, and his mouth is covering mine.

This is my kind of welcome party. My purse drops to the floor with a thud.

Ty's eager kiss presses hard against my lips, parting them enough for him to slide into my mouth. Our tongues tangle together dueling it out with a hunger I've never felt before. When this kiss is over, we'll both be winners because it's absolutely amazing.

Just when I think he's finished because his lips start to soften, he traces the curve of my face with his warm breath and nips at the base of my neck and collarbone. My hands thread through his hair, holding him in place and urging him on.

"I have groceries in the car," I manage to mumble.

"Later," he murmurs. "Just give me a few minutes."

With a kick, I hear my bag slide across the threshold and he closes the door. My back smashes firmly against the wall, with Ty's pulsing body holding me in place. My legs circle his waist, and I can feel his hard length against my damp core.

"I wish I needed minutes, I'll be lucky if I last a few more seconds." He loosens his grip on me, and frees himself from the tether of my legs. As soon as my feet hit the floor, he unbuckles my belt, my b.u.t.tons, and yanks down my pants, pulling my chonies right along with them.

Within moments, he's buried deep inside me and I can barely stifle a scream. My breath catches and I don't exhale until our bodies are trembling against each other as we race to the finish line.

Tyler's breath is heavy and fast-paced against my neck and my legs and arms are wrapped around him holding on for dear life.

"In the words of my amazing best friend, holy son of a s.e.x G.o.d, that was f.u.c.king awesome," I say between gasps for air.

He lifts his head and plants a quick peck on my lips. "That would be funny if your best friend wasn't my little sister."

"Right. Probably not a good idea to talk about her while our bodies are connected in the most intimate of ways."

He chuckles into my neck. "Yeah. Probably not." He pats my a.s.s and releases his hold on me. Once again, I slide down the wall until my feet are flat on the floor. "Why don't you get comfortable while I grab your stuff from your car?"