Love Struck Read online

  I opened it and frowned at Gerard standing there with his hands in his jeans pockets. “You lose your key or something?”

  “No, I’ve got it. I just…” He sighed and ran his hand over his short, almost non-existent black hair. “I don’t know.”

  “Get in here before you freeze, or food gets cold. Where’s your coat? Did you forget how cold it gets in Jubilee, with all your time on the beach?”

  “It’s not that cold.” He stepped inside and I closed the door behind him.

  “Oh, so your teeth just naturally chatter like that, huh?” I nudged him with my shoulder before I gestured at the spread of food on my coffee table.

  “It was much warmer where I came from. Why I came back to Nebraska in February is beyond me.”

  “Luckily, I’m here to take care of you.”

  Gerard tossed his arm over my shoulders. “Red, I never feel as lucky as I do when I get to see your smile. It’s been a little scarce lately. And you only need to take care of yourself.”

  I twisted under his arm and pressed against his chest and looked up into his dark brown eyes. “All you have to do to get me to smile for five whole days is agree to fly to Cancun with me.”

  His eyes searched mine. I didn’t know what he was looking for, but I felt exposed with his gaze so intently on me. I shifted to sit down on the couch and looked up at him. Gerard moved a little slower. His eyes never left mine, but I felt like he was miles away. “I don’t know that that’s such a good idea, Red.”

  “Why not? You’re always trying to get me to travel with you.”

  “This is different. This was a romantic getaway for you and Nick.” He cleared the rest of the distance to the couch and sat, his leg cocked up on the cushion, so he was turned toward me, but out of cuddle range. “I just don’t know that this particular trip’s a good idea.”

  He was worried about Nick? Really? Gerard had seen me through plenty of bad break-ups. He always knew what I needed. But right now, he was being weird. “I made a mistake, thinking Nick would go with me. Thinking Nick and I were a good idea at all. I know that now. I was so desperate to keep him, that I was scrambling for anything. It was a bad idea. You were right about Nick. But that doesn’t mean the ticket should go to waste. And I can’t think of a single person, even Nick, who I’d rather take with me.” I scooted closer and rested my hand on his knee. “Please, Gerard.”

  He reached out, and in a blink, I was in his lap, curled close. His big hands wrapped around my waist and my butt rested on his thick thigh. Gerard was a big man and never ceased to make me feel petite, cherished, cared for, even loved. Why couldn’t I feel this way with a man romantically?

  His hand tightened on my hip. “I’ll go with you.” He kissed my cheek. “But I do like the idea of you begging me.” His already deep voice dropped an octave and made me shiver as he said it against my neck.

  My breath was little shallow for a moment, like he’d stunned me or shook me with his words somehow. “You’re kind of a jerk sometimes.” My voice was breathy and a little husky. What was that all about? “Why do I want you to go with me again?” There. Now I sounded more like myself.

  I wiggled off his lap. I needed space. I needed my head to clear.

  He smirked and leaned toward me; he kept his voice low. “Because you want to take the sexiest guy you know?”

  I rolled my eyes. “You are clearly never lacking confidence. It’s a good thing you’re pretty.”

  He scrunched up his face in a ridiculous look and said through clenched teeth and wide-open lips, “Like this?”

  “Exactly like that.” I shoved him playfully and picked up a plate. “Now, are you going to pick a movie, so we can eat before the food gets cold?”

  Gerard grabbed the remote and immediately started surfing Netflix while I dished up plates full of food for us both. He seemed more at ease, but I still couldn’t figure out why he’d been so reluctant to go with me to Cancun. I doubted it had anything to do with Nick. There wouldn’t be a chance in hell that Nick would show up or want me back in the next two days. Most of the time, I knew exactly what he was thinking, but right now, I had no clue.

  Everything had felt off since Nick broke up with me. Not just with Gerard, but with myself. I didn’t feel like I could trust anything. And I certainly wasn’t going to get to the bottom of it tonight.

  After we ate, Gerard pulled me over next to him, and I curled up in his arms like I had a million times before, my head on his shoulder and my hand pressed to his stomach. Sometimes, I wished Gerard looked at me like more than just a friend. It would be so easy to have nights like this all the time, just comfortable quiet where I didn’t have to try too hard, I didn’t have to guess what he needed or wanted. But he only thought of me as a friend, and I only thought of him as a friend. It would never work.

  The movie ended, and Gerard let out a big yawn. “I guess I should get home if I’m going to pack. What time’s our flight?”

  “It leaves Omaha at eight AM Tuesday. I was thinking about driving up tomorrow night though, staying in a hotel, so I don’t have to get up two hours earlier than I would have to anyway. Would that be doable?”

  “Are you working tomorrow? We could go up early, spend some time wandering around the zoo before we crash for the night. See all those frogs in the swamp habitat that creep you out?”

  I chuckled softly. “I have to prep lesson plans. We could probably leave around noon, though.” I’d fallen behind with the stress and emotions of the past week, and I only managed to get Monday prepared for.

  Gerard nodded and got up, stretching a little as he unfolded himself from the couch. “Call me when you’re ready to go? I can come pick you up. We both know my car’s more reliable than yours. One of these days, you’re going to have to let me upgrade you to something built in this century.”

  I shook my head. “When I get a new car, it’ll be on my terms.” I stood and hugged him, my ear pressed against his chest. His heart always seemed to run a little faster than I thought it should.

  “I like taking care of you, Red. It’s not the worst thing to accept a gift or two from your best friend.”

  “Gifts are not required for friendship. And certainly not an SUV.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, not an SUV. A sedan, or a nice convertible.” He grinned and danced out of the way as I tried to grab him. “You’re going to have to be quicker than that, Red.”

  I waved him off. “Go home. Get packed. I’ll come pick you up around twelve-thirty tomorrow. You can ride in my death trap all the way to Omaha.” I shoved him at the door. “I’d get you your coat, but you didn’t bring one.”

  He grabbed me and pulled me in close, tickling me a little even as he hugged me tight. “Then I’m just going to have to take one more hug to keep me warm.”

  Once he left and my door was locked once more, I cleaned up my apartment and danced around. Knowing my best friend was coming with me made Mexico feel exciting once again.

  Gerard was waiting outside his place when I pulled up, his suitcase by his side and his missing coat draped over the top.

  “Park and get in my car, Red. I’m not getting stranded on the highway halfway between Jubilee Falls and Omaha because you’re too stubborn. And besides, I have a reserved parking spot, so we don’t have to circle the lots for hours when we go to the airport.”

  I swerved close to him, not close enough to hit him, just close enough to tease, and then parked. “I never expected you to get in my death trap. But one of these days you’ll realize it’s not that bad. It’ll probably outlast your car.”

  “I’ll believe that when I see it.” He moved my suitcase from my trunk to his, and then loaded his own bag. “You going to be my DJ for the trip? I expect some killer tracks.”

  “Hey, I know my place as shotgun. Keep the driver happy and make the trip as fun as possible.” I pulled out my phone and slid into the front seat. “Classical jazz is your jam, right?”

  “Get out of my car.” He pointed to
the side of the road. “Get out now.”

  I laughed and plugged my phone into the auxiliary cable. “Oh, so you can dish it out, but you can’t take it.” I shook my head and turned on an upbeat rock song. “Better?”

  He ruffled my hair and closed my door before he ran around and got behind the driver’s seat. “You know what else this car has that your death trap doesn’t? Butt warmers.” He reached down and flicked a switch.

  Soon, the leather seat was toasty under my ass. It was definitely a perk.

  “Okay, Mr. Davis, what do you want to do tonight when we get to Omaha? Dinner and a movie? Find a dance club and shake your ass so we’re exhausted on our way to Cancun?”

  “Uh, zoo first. Then, dinner out sounds perfect. My treat. The hotel room tonight too.”

  “Ger…” I sighed and stared at him as he merged onto the highway.

  “Don’t ‘Ger’ me. You paid for the whole damn trip to Mexico, and I know you’re not going to let me pay you back. Tonight’s my treat. I’m going to start taking it personally if you make a face every time I try and do something for you.”

  I scowled, plotting up ways to slip my card to the server before Gerard could. This was my vacation, one I’d been saving for a long time to be able to go on, and I didn’t want to feel like a charity case on it. Even if he did have way more zeros in his bank account balance than I ever would, I didn’t need him buying me things or treating all my meals while we were there. “Fine. But I seem to recall it took a lot of begging for me to be able to take you on this trip.”

  “That wasn’t about you buying so much as you didn’t buy for it me in the first place.”

  “You’re not paying for everything on this trip.”

  Gerard stuck his tongue out at me and then cranked up the radio. “We’ll just see about that.”

  I rolled my eyes and then flipped the song to an old Backstreet Boys tune.

  He just laughed and started singing right along with me as the music played.

  Construction and a four-car pile-up made what should’ve been a two-hour drive into almost four, and by the time we got to the hotel, neither one of us felt much like going out again.

  “Let’s just order room service and find something on TV. It’s already way later than we planned on getting here.”

  I nodded and grabbed my suitcase before he could carry them both. “Are we getting old? Why does that sound way better than dinner or dancing?”

  “Because you’re a schoolteacher who gets up at five every morning to deal with snot-nosed fourth graders. Plus, we’re about to spend five days being out.” He tried to take my bag but relented when I glared at him. “But no, we’re not old. Twenty-six is far from old. And when we get to Mexico, I’m going to prove it to you.”

  I laughed. “My biggest plan in Cancun is to relax, to have some margaritas, and just forget about everything except the sand, the sun, and getting away from frigid Nebraska winter.” Never mind the sex I’d planned on and was definitely forgoing this time around.

  He grinned. “And hanging out with the best guy in the world, right?”

  “Oh, is he going to be in Mexico? You’ll have to point him out.” I nudged him as the elevator arrived. “Now, this is just going to be a regular room, right? We’re not going to get up there and you’re going to yell surprise as you open the door to like a penthouse suite, are you?”

  “Who do you think I am? No, it’s a regular room, double beds. I even asked for a shower that doesn’t get quite hot enough in the morning, so you freeze when you’re getting ready to go tomorrow.” Just as the doors opened again, he grabbed my bag’s handle and took off down the hall, laughing hysterically the whole way like a madman. “Can’t have you too comfortable and enjoying yourself.”

  He stopped in front of a door halfway down the hall and I strolled toward him giving him an incredulous look.

  Gerard had the keycard out, but he hadn’t put it in the slot yet. He waited until I was standing next to him before he unlocked our room and pushed the door open. “Surprise!”

  I rolled my eyes as I walked into the standard double room. “Ha ha. Very funny.” I flopped down on one of the beds and grabbed the room service menu. “What should we do for dinner?”

  “I’m thinking steak and potatoes. But if we’re going to share wine, you pick that.”

  I flipped through the menu and decided on a pasta dish. “I don’t think I need wine, but don’t let me stop you from having some.”

  He picked up the remote and flicked on the TV. “Any preference on what we watch?”

  “Something without a ton of explosions? I’m not in the mood for action tonight.” I called in our order and then kicked off my shoes. “I’ll be right back. I’m ready for comfy clothes.”

  By the time I’d changed in the bathroom, Gerard had swapped out his jeans for a pair of sweats and pulled off his sweater so all he wore on top was a white V-neck. “Come cuddle with me until food gets here.”

  I curled up in his outstretched arms. Gerard and I cuddled often when we hung out together. It was comforting, left me feeling safe. I thought about all the time I’d been with Nick and never did I feel like myself, let alone comfortable or safe. Sometimes I wondered if Gerard fulfilled my needs where Nick or any other boyfriend really had been lacking. Was that why I stayed too long with assholes who ended up wasting my time and hurting me more than I ever should’ve let them? But if Gerard and I were friends, wouldn’t my friendship with Tru, Colton, or Angela fulfill that too? It wasn’t like that. It was only Gerard.

  He’d been there for years for me. His family was better off than mine, but he never made me feel less for it. We bonded and never wanted to let each other go. Even after he moved his mom to Florida and his photography career took off, he always made time for me and never let me feel like I was holding him back.

  Gerard confided a lot in me. When his parents split up, when his dad left and didn’t come back, when his girlfriend cheated on him. That was the last time I heard about him and a girlfriend. If he was seeing someone now, I had no idea. He never mentioned it. I talked about the men I was seeing very little, but it usually ended up with him being frustrated at me. He never thought I chose well for myself. I guess he’d always been right, but I didn’t want to fight about boyfriends with my best friend. It was one of the few places we actually fought. And I swore when I was with someone, he seemed to stay away longer. It occurred to me on more than one occasion they might be related, but I was too chicken to ask.

  Gerard shifted his body and his hand slid onto my hip. He pulled me a little closer, holding me the way I always wanted Nick to. It felt almost possessive. I snuggled closer and inhaled his scent, overtly masculine with a hint of cologne.

  He shifted again, but then I realized he was looking down at me. My gaze met his and his eyes studied me, holding me there, like he was trying to decide something. His lips parted and I wasn’t sure if he was going to say something or not, because the damned room service knocked on the door.

  The rest of the evening we cuddled, but it didn’t feel the same. I was half sure I imagined everything else anyway. We hardly moved other than to eat for the rest of the night, and before the end of the show, I drifted off in his arms.

  5

  Gerard

  I woke up with Cora in my arms.

  I hadn’t shared a bed with my fiery, redheaded best friend since high school, but it seemed to have the same effect on me that it did back then. Carefully, I shifted my hips away from hers and turned to stare at the ceiling.

  Ever since I agreed to go on this trip, I’d been dreading it. Part of me had been eager for her to go with Nick and cement their damn relationship so I could really make myself move on. When that blew up in my face, I seriously contemplated looking for an apartment in New York or Los Angeles. The cost of living in Nebraska was certainly better than either of those cities, but at least it would buy me space from Cora. Carrying a torch for her was hardly fun anymore and it was only going to
lead to frustration, heartache, and a broken friendship anyway. Maybe I would still do that, but I had to survive this trip first and try not to keel over because of blue balls.

  Once I got a hold of myself, I tried to slip from the bed without waking her.

  “Is it morning already?” Cora stretched as she sat up, pulling her tank top up her midriff and drawing all sorts of attention to her tits. She rubbed her eyes blearily. “I guess I fell asleep over here last night.”

  “We both did. I probably should’ve picked a shorter movie.” I smiled at her and got up, carefully keeping my hands in front of the situation in the front of my sweats. “I’m going to hop in the shower real quick, and then the bathroom’s all yours.”

  “Don’t take all the not fully hot water.” She winked at me, but it took me a minute to get the joke.

  “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll leave some lukewarm for you.” I hurried to the bathroom, hoping that she didn’t notice that I woke up hard. I would’ve preferred waking her up in another fashion instead of wasting a good erection in the shower. But the last thing she needed after just breaking up with a guy was the awkwardness of her best friend’s boner.

  I showered in water as cold as I could manage, taking care of my erection, not even sorry for picturing a slow morning fuck with Cora, and then I dressed in jeans, hoping the stiff fabric would hide it if my cock decided to come up again before we got to Cancun.

  Cora seemed oblivious to my suffering as she got up and sauntered across the hotel room in shorts that barely covered her ass and were wholly inappropriate for the Nebraska winter. I tried to will myself to look away. To not fantasize about coming up behind her, pulling her roughly against me, crushing her ass against my cock, while I dipped my hand in those tiny shorts and fingered her until she came all over them.

  So much for keeping my cock under control.

  While she showered, I headed down to the lobby. I took a quick stint outside to cool myself down and then grabbed two coffees, one black for me, one full of cream and sugar for Cora. I dragged my feet getting back to the room, hoping Cora would be well covered by the time I got back.