Building Something Hot Read online

  Friday morning came, and Briella still hadn’t snapped out of her funk. “What do you say we stay in tonight? We could order pizza, watch some movies, you know, have a girl’s night?” Mila offered.

  “That sounds good. I don’t feel much like going out tonight anyway.” Briella looked so downtrodden that Mila was almost worried.

  “Okay, I have some running around to do after work, so I’ll get some movies. We’ll meet back here at around 7:30? Does that work for you?”

  “That’s great. Gives me some time to go to the gym,” Briella said. “Well, work beckons. You ready?” she asked, and the two headed out the door.

  Twelve hours later, Briella had just had one of the most intense workouts of her life. She pushed every single muscle in her body to its limit, and now they were screaming at her. All she wanted to do when she got home was take a nice hot shower and relax. She couldn’t wait for the movie night that Mila had planned. Briella walked into the apartment, and seeing that Mila wasn’t home yet, made a beeline for the shower.

  Briella stood in the shower for what seemed an eternity. The water cascaded around her, and soothed her aching muscles. Then, the hot water slowly became colder, signaling to Briella that it was time to get out. She turned off the water and wrapped a towel around her body. As she finished combing out her hair, she heard voices in the living room so she went to see if Mila was home watching television.

  Briella walked towards the living room, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Mila, Dexter and Kason standing there, waiting for her.

  “Surprise!” all three yelled at once.

  Briella didn’t know whether to be happy or pissed. When she realized what was happening, she felt embarrassed more than anything for standing there in only a towel.

  “Say something! Don’t just stand there with your mouth open!” Mila laughed.

  “Um, excuse me,” Briella said, and turned back to her room, shutting the door.

  Briella got dressed, then sat on her bed, not quite sure what to do or say. She was happy to have Kason waiting in her living room, but she was still hurt and not quite sure of his feelings. She didn’t know whether she should go out to the living room, or stay in her room, and keep him waiting.

  The decision was made for her when someone knocked on her door. Assuming that it would be Mila, she called her to come in. When Kason walked through the door, Briella groaned quietly, and lay back on her bed.

  “Hey, I guess ya’ll aren’t as happy to see me as I am to see you. I think we need to talk,” he said, as he came over to sit next to her.

  “What’s there to talk about? You screwing your maid? But then, it’s none of my business, you’re a big boy and you can do what you want,” Briella said to the ceiling, trying to stop her tears from falling.

  “If that’s what ya’ll think, then you’re sorely mistaken. Briella, there is nothing going on between me and Parker. You really need to believe that. I don’t have any feelings for her, romantic or sexual. She’s not the one I think about all day long. She’s not the one I dream about every night. There’s only one girl who monopolizes my thoughts, and that’s you,” Kason admitted.

  “Well, that’s not exactly how it sounded when I called the other night,” Briella said, still looking for an explanation.

  Kason told her what had happened when she called, just like he had told Mila the night after it happened. “But I’m still not sure why I have to defend myself. You are the one who just wanted to be friends. So, now just because I’m friends with you, I can’t see other people?”

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I thought you liked me, and even though it will never work, I was starting to like you too. I know I’m going to end up getting hurt in the end, but I can’t stop thinking about you either.” Briella had tried valiantly not to cry, but at the thought of getting hurt worse than she had already been, the tears started. She rolled onto her side and hoped Kason wouldn’t see, but he caught her hands in his. He reached over and wiped her tears away.

  “Let’s not think of that now,” he said softly. “Let’s have fun this weekend, and not worry about what the future holds, okay?”

  Briella smiled and nodded. She had so much fun with him - why not enjoy him while she could? She could worry about all the other things when he left for Texas again. But right now, he was here, and she had him all for herself.

  Kason got up from the bed and took her hand, pulling her up too. He gave her a big bear hug, and then started walking to the door.

  “Wait a minute, Country Boy! You don’t get away that easily!” Briella said and walked up to Kason, then kissed him, long and hard. When she broke the kiss, she looked up into his eyes.

  “Hi, Country Boy. Welcome to New York!”

  Kason laughed and kissed her again. “Wow, now that’s the kind of welcome I like. Is that how ya’ll welcome everyone to New York?”

  “Nope, only the ones I like,” she giggled.

  “That’s how Dexter got welcomed at the airport. I thought it was a New York thing?” he said, as he pulled her into another hug and kiss. The kiss got longer and deeper, and soon they were both breathing hard. Kason was the first one who broke the contact, smiling down at her.

  “Now, when we go into the living room, Dexter isn’t going to get the same welcome from you, is he?”

  “We’ll have to see, won’t we?” Briella said, as she pulled him towards the living room.

  Chapter Seven

  “So, looks like you two worked things out?” Mila asked, and smiled at a very happy Kason and Briella.

  “Yeah, you were right, it was a big misunderstanding,” Briella said.

  “I know, I asked him about it the other night, but I thought you guys should work it out for yourselves,” Mila told her with a wink.

  “I’m still a little worried that the maid wants him, though.”

  “Well, all that matters is that I don’t want her,” Kason reassured her, and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Now, wasn’t I promised some famous New York pizza?” he asked as his stomach growled.

  “It’ll be here in about ten minutes. Here’s a beer to tide you over,” Mila said and tossed a beer to him and then one to Briella.

  “Well, after you feed us, we need to go to the hotel and get settled. Then we are free for the rest of the night,” Kason said.

  “Huh?” Mila asked, genuinely shocked. “Don’t even think about staying in a hotel. You guys are staying right here! Are you crazy or something? We’re not letting you out of our sight this weekend!”

  Kason looked at Briella, wondering if she wanted them to stay there. She caught the look and understood his hesitation. “Don’t even think about heading to a hotel, Country Boy, or else I’ll beat you up,” she teased.

  “That might be kind of interesting! Well then, let’s head to the hotel now if I’m going to get beat,” he replied, laughing. “Are ya’ll sure that it’s okay for us to stay here?”

  “Yup!” Both girls nodded in unison.

  “How can we resist then?” Dexter asked. “Do we get mints on our pillows here too?”

  “No, but you’ll get to cuddle with us, which is much better than a simple mint on your pillow!” Briella said with a grin.

  “That’s for sure!” Kason said, as the doorbell rang. “Ah! Pizza!”

  Mila went to answer the door, but instead of the pizza delivery guy, she found Jameson holding a small box.

  “Hey, is Briella home?” he asked.

  Mila stood there in shock before she moved aside, and like the polite hostess she was, asked him to come in. Kason and Dexter looked from Jameson to Briella, confused.

  “Um, Kason, Dexter, this is my ex-boyfriend, Jameson. Jameson, this is Dexter and Kason, our…um…friends from Texas,” she stammered out, as the guys shook hands. “Now, would you care to tell me why you’re here?”

  “Well, you left so fast the other night, I still had some of your stuff at my place, and I thought I should bring it back.” He looked a
t the men. “I’m sorry to have interrupted. I didn’t think to call ahead,” he apologized.

  “That’s okay, we were just leaving, or at least I was,” Kason announced, giving Briella a hurt look as he grabbed his luggage and walked to the door.

  “No, wait! Kason come back here!” Briella yelled.

  Kason turned to look at her. “And ya’ll were worried about me and Parker?” He walked out the door without another word.

  Briella ran after him and caught him waiting for the elevator. “Kason, wait. Did you not hear the part where I said he was my ex-boyfriend? We broke up as soon as I returned to New York,” she said.

  “You broke up with him a few days ago?” Kason asked, incredulous.

  “It’s been over for a while, and I was waiting for a reason to end it. When I met you, I knew it was time. The first thing I did when I got back here was go to his place to break it off. There is no reason to be upset over this.”

  “You had a boyfriend and didn’t tell me, Briella!” Kason shouted.

  “I didn’t tell you because it didn’t matter! We were done and over with. I wanted to be with you, not him. Please come back to the apartment. Trust me, there is no reason to fret over Jameson. If anything, I should be upset. I think he was checking you out!”

  “Bullshit,” Kason growled.

  “He was! Wait until I tell you what happened when I went to break up with him. Please, come back.”

  She grabbed Kason’s hand, and started to pull him back to her apartment. He hesitated for a long minute, then let her lead him.

  When they got to her apartment door, Briella turned to Kason and kissed him. “Just trust me, okay?”

  They walked back into the apartment and found that Jameson had left. He had taken the stairs to avoid them at the elevator. As they were about to shut the door, they saw the pizza guy.

  “Finally! I’m starving!” Dexter exclaimed. “All this drama really gets my appetite going!”

  As they sat there over pizza and beer, Briella told them the story of how she had found Jameson that night. They all laughed, and Kason and Dexter said they thought she had handled it surprisingly well. “See, do you think I would have laughed it off if I still had feelings for him?” she asked Kason. “All I know is that if he tries hitting on either you or Dexter, he’s going to face the wrath of me and Mila!”

  Later that night, the guys were having trouble keeping their eyes open. The girls decided to call it a night, and led Kason and Dexter to their bedrooms. What might have been awkward under other circumstances wasn’t awkward at all, given that they were all so tired. They just wanted to sleep - there was nothing else on their minds. They all changed into their night clothes and fell fast asleep, with Mila in Dexter’s arms and Briella in Kason’s arms.

  The next morning, Kason woke up feeling refreshed. He opened his eyes, and saw Briella looking so sweet and peaceful. He watched her for about fifteen minutes, the time ticking slowly away, until he could no longer resist the urge to kiss her. As his lips touched hers, she let out a soft moan.

  Kason reached out to stroke her cheek. She smiled before she even opened her eyes. “Good morning!” she whispered as she stretched a little. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Better than I have in years,” Kason said as he smiled at her. “I am so glad that I’m here, and even more happy that I met you.”

  “Me too.” She turned her body so that she was lying on her side, facing him. She kissed him long and deep as he put his hand on her waist. His fingers found the hem of her tank top, and lifted it up a few inches. He traced circles on her bare skin, along her waist and back. When the kiss became more heated, Kason pushed the tank top higher, curious as to what kind of reaction he would get.

  “Your hand feels so good,” she whispered.

  Kason rolled them over so that Briella was lying on her back, and he was laying half on top of her. The kisses deepened until soon they were breathing hard, their hands roaming everywhere. His hands slowly made their way up the front of Briella’s tank top and brushed across her breasts. The moment his hand made contact with her hard nipples, a wave of pleasure connected them. Briella gasped at the onslaught of sensation; the hardness that pressed against her leg made it clear how Kason felt about it. Kason groaned into Briella’s mouth and then abruptly broke their kiss. As they looked into each other’s eyes, Kason removed his hands from her breasts, placing them safely on either side of her waist.

  “I’m sorry. I think I got a little carried away,” he said, still panting, his body still begging for more.

  Briella was shocked. “Huh?” Her head was clouded with desire.

  “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s too soon. I don’t want to ruin what we have.”

  Briella took in a deep breath, held it, then let it out on a slow exhale. “Glad you have some control, because I sure lost all of mine!” she giggled, blushing hard.

  “Trust me, it’s not that I don’t want to, because I do…if that isn’t obvious,” he said.

  “It’s obvious,” she said, lifting her hips the slightest bit to grind against him. Kason groaned, bit his lip and dropped his head onto her shoulder.

  “That doesn’t help much,” he said.

  “How about we go make some breakfast? You might want to wait a few minutes to come out, though.” Kason looked up to see her grinning at him with a decidedly wicked look in her eyes.

  “Yeah, I’ll meet you out there,” Kason said, and gave her a quick kiss before she left for the kitchen.

  Briella had finished making the French toast and pancakes and Kason still hadn’t come out. Dexter and Mila appeared shortly after smelling the food. They both looked rumpled by a little more than sleep, and the fact of that made Briella grin to herself. But soon she started worrying about Kason and decided to go check. He was still lying on the bed, where she had left him half an hour ago.

  “Hey, I thought you were coming out,” Briella said as she crawled up the bed towards him.

  “Well, I was going to, but I can’t get rid of my little problem,” he said, and his face flushed with embarrassment. “The feel of your skin, the smell of you, the taste of you. Wow, it just won’t go away! God, I feel like a teenager!”

  Briella gave him another wicked grin. “You want me to help? Maybe there’s something I can do.”

  Kason shook his head at Briella’s offer and she sighed with an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders. “Okay, then just put on a long shirt, something that will cover it. I’m sure once you get around Dexter it’ll get better. Or just think about Jameson checking you out,” she said with a laugh.

  “Please, no,” he groaned, laughing with her.

  Briella suddenly became more serious. “Or maybe this will help.”

  She quickly pulled down the front of his boxers before Kason could react. She stared at him for a long moment. Kason watched her, his whole body tense, and a certain part of him harder than ever. Finally unable to stand it anymore, she leaned over and kissed away a drop that made her lips glisten.

  “Briella,” Kason breathed, his voice shaky. “We can’t…”

  “I know.”

  She leaned back down and licked him one more time, getting a long groan from him. She sat back up and pulled his boxers up, covering him again. .

  “Tasty,” she said, and winked at him. Then she jumped off the bed. “Put a shirt on and come out. Breakfast is ready!”

  Kason came out a few minutes later with a long button down dress shirt and a pair of khakis. His face was red with embarrassment, hoping that no one would notice his little problem. If they did, Mila and Dexter gave him the courtesy of not mentioning it. Briella winked at him again as he sat down, and that made him blush even harder. He dug into his breakfast without saying much at all, but soon he began to come out of his shell. They all ate and talked about what they should do that day.

  “Briella, will you take me shopping?” Kason asked.

  “Shopping for what?”

  “Clothes. We pla
n on taking you out to a club tonight, and I don’t want to look like a hick, so I thought you’d help me choose some city clothes.”

  “Sure, Country Boy. Whatever you want. Does this mean I need to retire your nickname?” she teased.

  “Never,” he said, and gave her a kiss. “After all, you can take the boy out of the country, but ya’ll can’t take the country out of the boy.”

  After breakfast and getting dressed, Briella took Kason out shopping, and wound up dragging him all over the district. She was surprised at how much Kason actually liked to shop. He ended up buying a lot more than just an outfit to wear that night. He bought a few suits for work, new pants that were dressy and completely different from the Wranglers he wore at home, plus a bunch of shirts.

  “You’re going to need more luggage!” she said, her eyes wide at the sight of all those bags.

  “I’m buying every damn thing in the city, why stop now?” he laughed.

  He was quite proud of his new wardrobe, as was Briella. He had good taste in clothes, and though she hated to admit it, he looked pretty sexy in his ‘cowboy clothes’ too.

  The group got together later and went out for a cozy romantic dinner before heading to the club. The guys seemed to be enjoying their visit to the city, even though Dexter and Mila stayed in the apartment most of the day. Briella didn’t bother to wonder what they had been doing all that time - she could guess!

  After dinner they walked to the club, which was only a few blocks away. The night was chilly, so Kason and Dexter walked with their arms around the girls. The club had a long line of people waiting to get in; however, Briella and Mila walked straight up to the bouncer, who smiled and let them in. The girls went to the club quite frequently, and he knew them.

  “Impressive,” Kason said, and gave Briella a quick kiss.

  Dexter and Kason looked around the club once they got inside. There were serving areas on all sides of the large room, with the dance floor pulsing in the center. Tables were set up at the outer edges of the dance floor, and there was a balcony over the far wall with another bar.