FACE TO FACE
CHAPTER 6
Kate huffed when her phone buzzed on the vanity, grabbed a tissue to fix her smudged makeup. She gave it a cursory glance, noted that it was the same number that had called her a handful of times that week, and ignored it once again. The caller had yet to leave a message, but since she often received work calls from unknown numbers, she didn't typically block calls.
She heard the knock on her door as she finished applying eyeshadow, and she grabbed her phone and lip gloss and went to answer.
"Hi," she greeted Rick as she threw the door open.
"Wow," Rick breathed, shutting the door behind him as he joined her inside. "You look great."
Kate felt her face flush and she glanced down at her dress. "Thanks. Lemme just grab a sweater." As she retreated back to her room to get a cardigan she heard her phone ring again, and she rolled her eyes. Whoever the mystery caller was just wouldn't give up.
"That number's still calling you?" Rick called out.
She shut off her bedroom light and shrugged when Rick came back into view. "Yeah. I guess I should block it."
"Or," Rick suggested, picking up her phone when it went silent, "we can find out what they want. May I?"
"Sure."
He pressed the screen and held it out as the sound of a ringing phone came through the speaker. It rang twice then clicked, and when a familiar voice answered, Kate's blood ran cold.
"Hello?"
Rick glanced at her, but she just shook her head, tried to tell him not to bother.
She should have just blocked the number.
"Who is this?" Rick asked into the phone.
"Who the hell is asking?"
Chris's voice was slightly tinny through the speaker, and he was almost yelling, presumably to be heard over the loud music in the background. It sounded like he was at a party or a bar, but he didn't seem to notice or care, because he just spoke louder.
"And why are you answering my girlfriend's phone?" Chris continued.
The pieces seemed to click into place for Rick and his face turned red, his jaw clenched with anger. "I'm answering mygirlfriend's phone," he argued, his voice almost as tight as the rigid set of his shoulders. "You lost the privilege of calling her that when you fucked around."
Kate pulled herself out of her frozen stupor and stepped closer to Rick and her phone. "What do you want, Chris?" she snapped. Rick had managed to get a reservation at a new restaurant, and her stomach had been growling with anticipation since she got home from work. She didn't want her asshole of an ex to waste any more of her time.
"I made a mistake," Chris slurred, obviously drunk. "I want you back."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Too bad. Goodbye, Chris. Don't call me again." She took her phone from Rick and hung up, then finally blocked the number. "Come on," she told Rick, dropping her phone in her purse and grabbing his hand. "Let's go."
Rick followed her out, but after they slid into the backseat of a cab he leaned close. "You okay?" he asked in a quiet voice, his mouth by her ear.
She nodded, but refused to look at him, her gaze firmly locked at the city passing outside the window. "I'm fine," she lied. She wasn't, not even close. Hearing Chris's voice had brought to the surface emotions that she thought she'd moved past. Anger that he'd cheated, regret over the time she'd wasted with him, guilt about not giving him what he apparently needed.
The last one was silly, she knew. It was entirely his decision to cheat, and she had no responsibility for his actions. But she couldn't help but wonder if she could have done something more to prevent it.
Her leg bounced as they rode to the restaurant, and if Rick noticed, he didn't say anything. She was restless, endless energy and adrenaline coursing through her, and she wanted to break out of the cab, to run a marathon, to sit on Rick's lap and ride him senseless.
She felt a familiar tingle between her legs at the last thought, the beginning tugs of arousal. She turned her head to look at her boyfriend, and her desire must have been written all over her face, because his eyes darkened, and he glanced at her mouth before knocking on the plexiglass separating them from the driver.
"Hey, can you take us back?" he asked, his voice brighter than his blown pupils - and growing arousal, judging by the bulge in his pants. The driver glanced back at them and turned left at the next intersection.
Rick let go of her hand and rested his on her knee, just under the hem of her dress, and he snuck his pinky finger under the skirt, his featherlight touch teasing her and driving her wild. His eyebrows lifted at her low whine, and he slid his hand up, under her skirt, a slow journey to where she wanted him the most.
She curled her fingers around his wrist and tugged, and as soon as his fingertips brushed against her she gasped and lifted her hips into his touch. Her surroundings faded away, and it was just her and Rick, his fingers teasing her through the barrier of her underwear, his erection pressing along the seam of his pants.
Her head fell back and she lost herself in his touch, but despite her holding him to her he was barely touching her, refusing to give her the friction she so desperately needed to find release.
The cab pulled to a stop in front of her building and Rick's hand disappeared, and she took a slow breath, opened her eyes when she heard the door open. When she looked up she saw him standing outside, his hand extended towards her, and she ignored the knowing look the driver gave them as she took Rick's hand.
She followed him to the elevator, and although she expected to be pinned against the wall and devoured, Rick dropped her hand and stood several inches from her, despite the energy radiating off him. Luckily her apartment was just on the fourth floor, so the ride was short, and after just a few minutes he was taking her key from her trembling hand and unlocking her door.
He shut and locked it behind her, and leaned against it, his gaze dark and intense, full of longing and lust.
"What do you need?" he asked, his palms flat against the door, as if he was physically restraining himself from reaching for her.
She ran her tongue along her bottom lip and tugged it between her teeth, smirking when his gaze dropped and the outline of his hard cock grew. It was a simple question, but she didn't have a simple answer.
She wanted so many things: to push him to the floor and climb on top of him, drop to her knees in front of him, bend over the couch so he could pound into her from behind.
She wanted to claim him.
She wanted him to claim her.
Finally she reached behind her, following his eyes as they dropped to her chest, and she found her zipper, the rasp of the teeth cutting through the tension in the air like a knife. His gaze followed the dress as it fluttered to the floor, leaving her clad in just her heels and scrap of underwear, soaked through with her arousal.
"I need you to take off your clothes," she rasped, trying to be firm and commanding. Her voice trembled, though, and Rick smirked.
His hands went up to his shirt, and he played with the top button. "And?" he prodded, sliding the disc through the hole, maddingly slow.
By the time his shirt fell to the floor and he unbuckled his belt she was almost shaking, told herself not to rush him, that the teasing and anticipation would be worth it.
"And then I need you to fuck me. Hard."
Rick's eyebrows lifted, even as he hooked his thumbs in his pants and shoved them down his legs. He kicked off his shoes and stood in front of her in just his socks and briefs, and her mouth watered at the sight of his erection pushing against the simple, grey fabric. He ran his palm along the length and groaned, his head falling back against the door, his hips thrusting into his hand.
She had a brief flash of déjà vu from a few weeks prior, when their places had been swapped, and he watched while she touched herself. But that wasn't what she wanted; at least, not at that moment.
She turned and moved towards her room, ignoring the crumpled dress on the floor, grinning to herself when she heard Rick follow her. Her heels forced her to put extra emphasis on the sway of her hips, and she paused at her door, glanced back at him with a smirk. His eyes were glued to her ass, so before she went over to her bed she hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her underwear, started to lower it, let it snap back over her ass when he reached for her.
"Kate," he growled, lowering his gaze. "Don't. Don't fucking tease me."
She turned and glanced down at his briefs, a new flood of arousal soaking her panties as she noticed his thick erection. God, it looked like he'd come without even being touched.
Well, that wouldn't do.
Without a word, she went over to her bed, bent forward, and looked over her shoulder. "Come here," she rasped.
For a man who looked desperate for release just seconds before, Rick approached her at a glacial pace, his gaze locked on her ass. She trembled with anticipation, her core clenching, and when his palm brushed against her lower back she jerked.
"Oh my God," she groaned. She was so turned on she almost had an orgasm just from his light touch.
He nudged her feet apart and slid his fingers along her inner thigh, his thumb teasing her through her underwear before sliding under the elastic. He swore under his breath as she pushed her hips back into his touch, and he slicked his thumb through her arousal. "Fuck, you're so wet," he grumbled, leaning forward to press his lips to her back.
She squirmed her hips and felt him still, his cock hard against her ass, as he gripped her hip with one hand and pushed two fingers inside her with his other. She shuddered when his fingers curled and he thrust them, slow at first, but quickly speeding when she clenched around him.
He reached his other hand around her and pressed his fingers against her clit, the delicious pressure bringing her closer and closer to the edge.
She barely registered Rick moving, or her underwear being drawn down her legs, but she definitely felt his cock nudge her entrance. She arched her back and groaned as he filled her, and she pushed back against him, encouraging him to move.
His fingers gripped her waist as he thrust into her, his hips slapping against hers, one hand sliding up her torso to palm her breast. He gave her nipple a rough tug and she gasped, pushed herself back into him as she shuddered once again.
He plastered himself against her back and leaned them forward, abandoned her breast to rub at her clit as he pinned her to the bed, his thrusts turning shallow, desperate. "Let go," he murmured in her ear. "I got you."
She spasmed around him as she fell over the edge, her fingers curling into the sheets, legs trembling as she cried out. His own movements became frantic, and he groaned as he followed her into release.
She woke the next morning to a steaming mug of coffee on her nightstand, and she turned onto her back, found Rick sitting against the headboard, iPad in his hand. He glanced at her and smiled, and she lifted her arms above her head, arched her back in a lazy stretch before scooting up to join him. When his gaze dropped to her bare chest she drew the sheet over her breasts and reached for her coffee.
Her eyes closed as she took a sip, marveling again at how perfect he could make it, just a few weeks into their relationship. She knew his powers of observation were partly because of his writing career, but still, she was impressed.
"What are you working on?" she asked after a few sips, once the caffeine began to wake her brain.
He tilted the screen away from her when she tried to look. "Nuh uh," he scolded, "no spoilers."
She smirked. "Does that mean you're working on the next book?"
"Maybe," he teased. He closed the cover and placed the tablet on the nightstand. "I would hate for you, my adoring, number one fan, to lose any anticipation for my upcoming work."
Kate snorted, but she let him lace their fingers together and brush his lips across her knuckles. "Who said I'm your number one fan?" she shot back, her eyes on his.
He growled and tugged her onto his lap, trailed his hands up her thighs as she shifted to straddle him.
His large hands cupped her ass, and she rocked her hips, puffed a little with pride when she felt him stir between her thighs. Before she could give into her desire and sink onto him, though, her phone beeped.
She glanced over, saw a notification from Lanie, and swore. "I'm late," she gasped, scrambling off Rick.
He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair as his eyes followed her across the room. "For what?" he asked. When she retreated to the bathroom he trailed after her, leaned against the counter as she stepped into the shower. "I thought we had the weekend together."
Kate shook her head even though he couldn't see her through the curtain. "Sorry," she called out over the spray of water as she squirted body wash onto her washcloth. "Lanie and I have a standing monthly brunch date." She quickly rinsed and shut off the faucet.
She smiled her thanks when Rick handed her a towel, and she quickly dried herself off before wrapping it around her body. "I'm sorry," she apologized, pressing a quick kiss to his mouth before brushing her teeth. "You can stay here, though, if you want. I'll be back in a few hours." She heard him follow her back to her room, and she dropped her towel as she grabbed clean clothes from her dresser.
She smirked when she heard him groan, and although Lanie was waiting she took her time getting dressed. "Maybe you can rest up for later," she suggested in a low voice when she tugged a sweater over her head. He propped himself on the edge of the bed, and she stepped between his legs, laced her fingers at the back of his head. "We can finish what we almost started," she murmured.
He slid his hand under her sweater and surged into her, captured her mouth with his. "I'd like to meet this Lanie," he said when he let her go.
Kate grinned and ran her fingers through his hair. "Maybe next time," she suggested. "Or I'll have her over. She can be a lot and I don't want to scare you off."
His eyes darkened as he chuckled. "Not a chance in hell," he assured her, his voice gravelly. He let go of her shirt. "Have fun."
Rick's words echoed in her mind as she exited the subway, and made her way out of the station. The diner wasn't far, just a few stops away, but still, she rushed through the door, found Lanie sitting at their usual table in the back.
"I'm sorry, I overslept," she gasped, dropping into the chair across from her friend and making an effort to ignore the knowing smirk.
Lanie raised a knowing eyebrow. "I don't believe you," she teased. "I think you were busy getting laid."
Kate felt her cheeks flush. "Not quite," she murmured, smiling her thanks to the waitress when coffee appeared in front of her. "But not for lack of trying."
Lanie arched one sharp eyebrow. "You could've cancelled, girl. Don't let me get in the way of your sex life."
"No, this is good," Kate insisted. She shrugged. "A few hours apart will make him that much more desperate." And me,she mused, squeezing her thighs together. She'd been worked up, too, and the vibrations of the subway had done nothing to help.
They paused long enough to order, and as soon as the waitress walked away, Lanie leaned forward, her hands cupped around her mug of tea. "So. When do I get to meet him?"
Kate chuckled. "Funny, he mentioned wanting to meet you, too. In fact, he said something else. I told him you were a lot - don't give me that look, you know you put my boyfriends through the ringer," she added when Lanie opened her mouth.
Lanie smirked. "Damn right I do."
"Anyway," Kate continued, "I said I didn't want him to be scared off. And he said, and I quote, 'not a chance in hell.' Am I reading too much into it?"
Lanie was silent as she sipped her tea, but Kate could almost see the wheels turning in her friend's mind. Finally she set her mug down and leaned forward again.
"I think you guys have only been seeing each other for a few weeks. And you said yourself that up until last week, it was just sex. You weren't in a relationship-relationship. So I think it's still new, and you should just keep getting to know each other. And not just your favorite positions," she added with a wink.
Kate's cheeks flushed. They'd tried a new one just the past week, and even though she was so sore the next day she had a hard time walking, she looked forward to doing it again.
"And," Lanie continued, nudging her foot under the table, "I think you need to have me over for dinner so I can meet him. Or, even better, doesn't he live in Manhattan? He can come out with us after work."
"Oh, God, you wouldn't interrogate him over our chips and margaritas, would you?" Kate pleaded.
Lanie just chuckled and reached for her fork when their food arrived.
She knew something was wrong as soon as she stepped off the elevator the following Friday night. Rick's door was cracked open and she could hear two voices, neither of them happy. She recognized her boyfriend's, but while the other, a female, sounded familiar, she couldn't quite place it.
Until she stepped through the door and saw not two, but three people in the living room.
Rick was standing with his back to the door, but even though she couldn't see his face, she could tell by his shoulders that his arms were crossed, and he was pissed.
It was the reveal of the other two people that caused the pizza she was holding to fall to the floor with a loud crash.
Rick spun around, the hard set of his jaw softening briefly when his gaze landed on her.
But she barely registered him moving towards her, or her name falling from his lips.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she managed around the lump in her throat, her eyes locked on the couple in front of her.
Chris narrowed his eyes and took a step towards her. "Me? What are you doing here?" he echoed.
Rick looked between them, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, you two know each other?" he asked.
"You could say that," Kate managed.
Chris suddenly laughed. "Oh my God, you didn't tell him?"
"Tell me what? Kate, what is he talking about?"
"That she dumped me because I was fucking your girlfriend."
Rick's jaw dropped, and he turned back to face Kate. "Hang on."
"And Meredith is pregnant," Chris continued, "with his kid. God, this is hilarious."
Kate shook her head, trying to sort through her muddled thoughts. She felt Rick's fingers curl around hers, but she couldn't bring herself to respond, and she tugged her hand back. She turned to Meredith, Rick's ex-girlfriend - and current girlfriend of Chris. "You're pregnant," she said, trying to keep her voice flat.
Meredith beamed, but there was something else in her eyes, something that Kate couldn't place. "Yes," she confirmed.
Kate turned back to Rick. "And you're the father."
Rick narrowed his eyes at Meredith before reaching for Kate again. When she shook her head and took a step back, he sighed and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "So she claims, but we're going to do a paternity test."
"I-"
"Wait a minute," Rick continued. He turned to Chris and Meredith. "You're her Chris?" he asked, jerking his thumb towards Kate. When Chris nodded, he shifted his attention back to Kate. "Did you know?"
"Know what?"
Rick ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I knew you looked familiar. We met. At the same party. I talked to you on the phone. Fuck," he repeated. "You mean to tell me that you're the guy who was fucking my girlfriend?"
"Rick-" Kate rasped. Finally she moved, tried to put a reassuring hand on his arm, but he jerked his arm out of her reach. "Yes," she admitted, "I knew that Chris was the other guy. I knew when I saw Meredith's pictures on his phone."
"And you didn't tell me?"
Rick's voice cracked on the last word, and Kate's stomach dropped. "It didn't matter," she argued. "It had happened, we were both on the rebound, why would it even matter?"
Rick ran his fingers through his hair again. "I don't know," he sighed, turning around to lean against the counter. "But it feels a lot like you hid it from me."
"That wasn't my intention," Kate insisted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Chris and Meredith leave, but she didn't stop them. She needed to see this through, needed Rick to understand.
Rick's shoulders heaved with a deep breath. "I can't," he rumbled. He turned his gaze back to Kate, but his eyes were dark and cold, the usual omnipresent spark nowhere to be found. "Your boyfriend and my girlfriend cheated on us with each other, you fucking knew about them, and you didn't think it was important?"
"Rick-"
"Wait a minute," he interrupted her. "I asked you. When we first got together." He pointed an accusatory finger in her direction. "I asked you if you knew the other woman and you said no. You lied, Kate."
Kate opened her mouth to argue, but she paused. He was right.
Fuck.
"I'm sorry," she finally managed, reaching for him. When he jerked back, out of her reach, she dropped her arm and huffed in frustration. "But I don't get why you're so mad."
"It just feels like you were keeping secrets."
"A secret that had no bearing on us!" she almost yelled, running both of her hands through her hair as he turned away from her and leaned against the counter. "God, you're infuriating. What would it have mattered?" A thought took her by surprise, and she almost didn't want to vocalize it, didn't want him to even consider it.
But she had to know.
She shoved her hands in her back pockets and stared at the back of his head, longed for his comforting touch, for his embrace, for him to tell her that she's wrong. "Would it have changed you and me?" she finally uttered, dreading what his answer might be.
Although they'd only been together a month, she could almost always read him. And what she saw when he turned made her heart sink.
He didn't respond right away, just looked at her with an unreadable stare. After a long moment, he sighed. "I don't know."
She swallowed around the lump in her throat and nodded. "Okay. I need to leave."
"Wait," Rick said when she started to walk away. He curled his fingers around her upper arm and tried to stop her, but she tugged her arm from his grasp. "Kate, wait. I just need to think."
She stepped over the fallen pizza, and glanced back at Rick when she reached the door. "Yes, you do. Bye, Rick."
With one last look at her boyfriend - or whatever he was after this - she left.