You Make Me Weak Read online

  “Yeah.”

  We headed toward my apartment, his arm still around me. We walked in silence as we headed up the sidewalk. It was nice not to talk. In a way, I felt like we were talking, just not using words.

  When we arrived at my door, he pushed my back into it and placed his hands on my hips. His face was dangerously close to mine. His warm breaths fell on my face. I wondered if he could hear my heartbeat. “May I kiss you?”

  I didn’t answer him. Instead, I pressed my lips to his in response.

  Pike’s kiss was slow, like he wanted it to last forever. He wasn’t in a hurry for it to become heated. He wanted it to remain gentle and precise. Every time he touched my lips it was purposeful and thoughtful. The distant taste of sangria was on his lips, and I knew it was on mine too.

  He felt my dress in his hands, bunching it up in his fingers while he held onto me. His excitement was evident in every movement of his mouth. He came closer to me, his chest hard against mine.

  What started out as a gentle kiss turned into something more. The chemistry was felt by both of us, and just like I expected, sparks flew. His hand moved to my neck and he grabbed some of my hair, being more aggressive. Pike was usually reserved and respectful, but when he was being physical, he was domineering and controlling. He took everything I gave him and then wanted more.

  Abruptly, he ended the kiss and stared at me. His chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing. He stepped back slightly. “Getting a little carried away…”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, thank you for spending the evening with me. Time is valuable, and the fact you spent it with me is a great compliment.”

  “I had a great time.” I was still a little dizzy.

  “Would you like to come over for dinner on Saturday? I know how to cook a few things.”

  “Sure.”

  He smiled then leaned in again, this time kissing me on the cheek. “I’ll see you then, Silke.” He stepped back and waited for me to go inside.

  “Good night, Pike.”

  “Good night, Rose.”

  I turned back around and stared at him. “Sorry?”

  “Rose,” he said. “You remind me of a rose, like my painting, like my flower. If it offends you, I won’t call you that again.”

  “No, it doesn’t offend me.” It just caught me off guard.

  “Good. I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  “Okay.”

  He gave me a final look before he walked down the hallway.

  I stood there, thinking about what just happened.

  ***

  I met my family at Mega Shake for dinner. We usually went out once every other week. I’d been busy with work and Pike that I almost forgot about it. I was craving a greasy burger and even greasier fries, so it sounded delicious.

  I walked inside and spotted my family at a booth. “Hey, ya’ll.”

  “Are we in the Midwest?” Slade snapped.

  I ignored him. “Let’s order. I’m starving.”

  We stood in line then ordered our food. After we had our trays, we sat down again.

  Mom only ordered fries because she was picky about her diet. She only ate out once in a while, and as a result, she was very thin. The rest of us didn’t care what we shoved down our pipes. Dad went to the gym every day so he burned all the junk he ate. And Slade was a natural garbage disposal. And I didn’t give a damn if I got a little curvy.

  “How’s work?” Dad asked.

  “Good. I got to build the Mesopotamia exhibit.”

  “Meso—what?” Slade asked.

  I ignored him. “I actually got to touch everything so that was amazing.”

  “Cool,” Dad said. “Where did you put that painting you got?”

  “It’s in my living room.” When I thought about Pike, I smiled involuntarily.

  “So…how’s it going with that guy you met?” Dad tried to act casual.

  I knew he would ask me this eventually. He didn’t usually ask me about my personal life, but I knew he wanted me to be happy and move on from Arsen. “Well,” I said. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together.”

  Mom gave Dad a significant look then dropped it.

  What did that mean?

  “What guy?” Slade asked.

  “I met him at an art show,” I said. “His name is Pike.”

  “What kind of name is that?” Slade hissed.

  “What kind of name is Slade?” I countered.

  “Touché, sis.” He shoveled a bunch of fries into his mouth.

  “What’s he like?” Mom asked.

  I told them everything I knew about him, especially proud of the fact he was an artist. We had a lot in common, and he had quickly become a friend as well as a love interest.

  Instead of being happy, Mom seemed sad.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing,” she said quickly. “I think the fries hurt my stomach.” She forced a happy expression. “I’m happy for you, dear. You deserve someone wonderful. It’s nice to see you smile again.”

  “It is,” Dad agreed. He seemed a little down too.

  “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” I pressed.

  “Absolutely,” Dad said. “Just be careful. Sometimes men aren’t always as they seem.”

  I was pretty certain Pike was exactly as he seemed.

  “When is your trip?” Dad asked Slade.

  “This weekend,” he answered. “I’m so excited.”

  “I’m glad you’re doing something nice for Trinity,” Mom said. “She deserves a break after putting up with you.”

  “Hey, I put up with her too,” Slade said.

  Everyone gave him an incredulous look.

  “Okay, maybe not,” he said with a laugh. “But it’ll be fun for both of us. We’re going to drink, eat, and fu—”

  “Anyway,” Dad said quickly. “Just bring sunblock.”

  Mom gave him an excited look. “Are you going to…propose?” She was trying not to jump out of her seat.

  Slade rolled his eyes. “God, no. We’re just going on a trip. Geez, why does everyone keep asking me that?”

  “Well, couples don’t go on trips together until it’s for a special reason,” Dad said.

  “It is for a special reason,” Slade said. “I have money.”

  Mom sighed. “You’re never going to give me grandchildren, are you?”

  “Nope,” Slade said. “But you got Silke. Maybe her and this artist guy will pop out a bunch.”

  Mom didn’t seem pleased by that.

  Seriously, what was her deal?

  “Make sure Trinity doesn’t think you’re proposing,” Mom said. “Otherwise, she’ll be extremely disappointed.”

  “She knows I’m not going to,” he said. “I told her I’m not marriage material.”

  Mom sighed in sadness.

  “Dad, how’d you propose?” I asked.

  Dad put down his shake. “I had your mom meet me at the shop. Then I got down on one knee with an empty box to propose to her.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “That sounds horrible.”

  He laughed. “The reason the box was empty was because I wanted to tattoo the ring on her finger. A week before that, I had mine done. I kept a bandage over it so she wouldn’t see. When I proposed, I took it off. She connected the dots.”

  “Oh! That is sweet,” I said.

  Slade fist-pounded him. “Badass.”

  “It was very romantic.” Mom gave him a fond look.

  “If I ever get married, I’ll get a tattooed ring too,” Slade said.

  “You want to be just like your old man, huh?” Dad asked.

  Slade shrugged in response.

  Slade idolized Dad. He had him on a pedestal. He teased him a lot of the time, but Slade loved him like a best friend. It was obvious in everything he did and said. But sometimes you had to read between the lines.

  Mom looked at Dad. “Have you met this Pike person?”

  “Not really,” Dad said. “I saw
him in passing. He was talking to Silke and I didn’t want to butt in.”

  “What’s he like?” Mom pressed.

  Dad shrugged. “Like I said, I didn’t talk to him.”

  Mom looked away and picked at her fries.

  I already described how Pike was. Why did she want my dad’s opinion? They usually didn’t care who I dated. But now they seemed particularly interested, and prejudiced. But why? Arsen ended up being a huge mistake. I knew they didn’t want me to be with him now that he was in jail. So what was the problem? Did they think Pike was another Arsen? “Pike is a good guy. He’s responsible, stays away from drugs, has his own career, and has a whole and complete life. He’s nothing like Arsen so you don’t need to worry about that.”

  My parents both looked down at their food, like my words didn’t make a difference.

  I fell silent and stopped trying to figure them out. Maybe they were just in a weird mood. Or maybe they were still worried about it. If Pike and I got serious, I would introduce him to my parents. Then they would see how wonderful he was. That would make them more comfortable.

  Chapter Four

  Roland

  “Want to play that new game I got?” Heath asked as we left work.

  “Yeah, sure.” We left the building and headed to our apartment.

  Heath was in a much better mood after the talk we had. He was back to normal, cheerful and outgoing. He made me laugh like he used to, and we were inseparable once more. “Sounds like another weekend marathon.”

  “Word.”

  “How are your friends doing?” he asked. “It seems like you haven’t seen them in a while.”

  “Well, Conrad and Theo are opening their studio, so I know they’re busy with that. Plus, they have their girlfriends. My sister and Cayson are humping like rabbits. Slade and Trinity are gone for the weekend. And…am I missing anyone?”

  “Silke?”

  “She’s seeing some new guy so I’m sure she’s busy.”

  “Well, at least you got me.”

  “Yeah.” I gave him a smile then kept walking.

  After we got to his apartment, we sat on the couch and played video games for hours. When we were both tired of that, we watched the game and drank beer. I sat beside him on the couch but didn’t touch him. We’d been spending a lot of time together, but Heath hadn’t pressed for a physical relationship with me. I knew I wanted one, but I wanted to take it slow at the same time.

  Heath moved his hand to my thigh and rested it there.

  I didn’t flinch but my heart sped up.

  “Is this okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” Actually, I was hard. It happened immediately. Times like this made me realize there was no doubt I was attracted to him.

  “Okay.” He drank his beer with his other hand and watched the game.

  Being with Heath was like having a best friend that you hung out with all day and never got tired of, with a strong physical attraction on top of it. I’d never had that type of relationship before. Most of the girls I’d been with annoyed me to the point of insanity. Jasmine was cool, but I wouldn’t want to spend every waking moment with her. Heath was the only person that filled every role.

  “Want to make it interesting?” he asked.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “A hundred bucks on the Celtics?”

  I laughed. “You think the Celtics are going to win?”

  “Yep. You want to take that bet?”

  “Of course I’ll take your money.” I shook his hand.

  “We’ll see…”

  At the end of the game, the Celtics lost like I expected. “Pay up.”

  He sighed and chuckled at the same time. He opened his wallet and passed me the money. “Damn.”

  “Looks like I have lunch money this week.” I loved to gloat my victories.

  “Talk about a poor winner…” He finished his beer and left the bottle on the table.

  “Hey, I’m not rubbing it in. I’m just better than you.”

  He laughed. “You just proved my point.”

  “Oh…I did, huh?”

  “Yeah.” He gave me a fond look then turned off the TV.

  “What do you want to do now?” I asked.

  Heath slid off the couch then moved to the floor. When he settled between my legs, I knew something was going to happen. Something I’ve never done before. “I have something in mind.” He reached for the top of my jeans and unbuttoned them.

  I didn’t stop him and my cock was harder than it’d ever been.

  “Is this okay?” he asked. He looked into my eyes to see my reaction.

  I nodded.

  “I want to hear you say it,” he pressed. “Because I can wait.”

  “Yes,” I said clearly.

  “Okay.” He pulled everything down then leaned over.

  ***

  My eyes were closed and I was still trying to catch my breath. That was the single best blowjob I’d ever gotten in my life. Heath touched me in a way no woman ever had. His tongue did wonders, and his hand knew the exact pressure to exert around my shaft.

  “Did you like it?” Heath asked.

  “What do you think?” I was still recovering from my high.

  He chuckled. “I guess that’s a yes.”

  I adjusted my pants and pulled down my shirt. “Wow…”

  “So, still think you only like women?” Heath asked sarcastically.

  “Uh, no.”

  He ran his fingers through my hair and soothed me. “I’m glad you liked it. I really liked it too. You have an impressive size.”

  A guy had never complimented my dick before. “Thanks…” Now I imagined how big his was. Should I reciprocate what he did to me? Surprisingly, the idea sounded appealing. I turned toward him and reached for his jeans.

  He grabbed my hand and steadied it. “Let’s take it slow. I want you to feel comfortable. If we do too much too fast, it might scare you off.”

  “I don’t want to leave you hanging…”

  “I got my hand. I’m good.” He gave me a smile then intertwined our fingers together.

  The idea of him touching himself was hot.

  He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. “What do you want to watch?”

  I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. “I’m exhausted now.”

  “Want to head to bed?”

  I looked at the time. “It’s only nine…”

  Heath gave me an amused expression. “I’m not judging you.”

  “Are you tired?”

  “Not really,” he said. “But I wouldn’t mind reading in bed.”

  “Okay.”

  We went into his room and lay in bed. I stripped down to my boxers and he did the same. Then he pulled out his iPad and started reading. I lay beside him and closed my eyes, feeling comfortable and satisfied. My hand rested against his ribs, feeling the hard muscle underneath. His skin was warm and inviting. Listening to him breathe beside me lulled me to sleep. When I woke up the following morning, I realized it was the best night of sleep I’d ever gotten.

  Chapter Five

  Slade

  I grabbed my bags and piled them by the door. Then I made sure I had everything else I needed for the trip. I ordered Trinity a naughty outfit just in case she didn’t bring slutty lingerie like I asked. This weekend would be full of quality time together in the room.

  Just when I opened the door to step out, Cayson was there.

  “Hey, man. You come to see me off?”

  “Something like that,” he said. He grabbed a bag off the floor. “Need help?”

  “May as well.” I locked the door behind me and we headed to the sidewalk. I waved down a taxi and started to put everything inside.

  “Got everything?” Cayson asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Remember what I said?”

  “What?” I asked after I slammed the trunk.

  “Do not give her that bracelet in a box. Hand it to her as is.”


  I rolled my eyes. “Are you still on that?”

  “Just trust me, dude.”

  “You’ve never proposed before,” I argued.

  “But I’m not an idiot. Just don’t give her a box. It’s not that complicated!”

  “Fine, whatever. But if Trinity thought I was going to propose, who would she tell?”

  Cayson shrugged.

  “Skye. And who would Skye tell?”

  “Me,” he said with a sigh.

  “Exactly. So if she isn’t expecting anything, then whether I hand her a box or not, she’s not going to flip. Can you chill now?”

  “I guess.”

  “Alright, I have to pick her up. I’ll see you when I get back.”

  “Okay.”

  I quickly hugged him then got into the cab. When I arrived at Trinity’s building, I ran inside to help her with her bags.

  When I stepped inside, I remembered how annoying she was when she traveled. She had at least seven different bags. “You’re joking, right? We’ll only be there for the weekend.”

  “I don’t want to forget anything.”

  “They won’t even let you take that many bags on the plane. It’s not like we’re driving there.”

  “But there’re so many cute things I want to wear…”

  “Unless you’re going to change fifty times a day, then you don’t need this many bags. Now pick two.”

  She rolled her eyes then made her selection.

  I pulled them over my shoulder. “Now let’s go. We can’t be late.”

  ***

  After we were on the plane, the chaos died down.

  “I checked the weather and it’s supposed to be perfect.” Trinity sat beside me with a magazine in her lap.

  “Yeah?” I looked out the window then turned to her. “You want to switch seats so you can see the view?”

  “No,” she said immediately. “Looking out the window will just scare me.”

  “You’re scared of flying?” I asked in surprise.

  “Not exactly,” she said. “I just don’t like being reminded how high up in the air we are.” She flipped the page and kept reading.

  I leaned close to her and kissed her cheek. “We’ll make it there safely. Don’t be scared.”

  “I know.” She gave me a quick smile before she turned away.

  A guy was sitting on the other side of her, sleeping.

  I grabbed her hand and held it in my own. “I’m excited to spend the weekend with you.”