The Journey Home Read online

  I attempted to hold my frustration back. The one time I really wanted to bitch about my mother, Zoey wouldn’t hear it. Zoey complained constantly about her parents. Her mother was always on her back to find someone and settle down. Zoey, on the other hand, wanted to live life on the edge. Her rare autoimmune disease had led her to live her life each day like it was her last. In a way, I envied her for that. I think almost dying last year had really thrown her for a loop.

  I stopped and looked at Zoey. Before I could say anything, she opened her mouth.

  “Listen, I’m not trying to be a bitch, Maddie,” She said. “I’m really not. But that party was two days ago. So your mother humiliated you and made you leave the party in tears. So you broke down in an elevator and cried. Who gives a shit? Next time, tell the bat off!”

  I was about to respond when the announcer came on. Zoey put her finger up to my mouth and said, “Shh, hush up.”

  I closed my eyes and prayed for strength. If she weren’t my friend, and sick, I’d have knocked the hell out of her.

  “That’s my plane boarding! Gotta go! Have fun in London while I’m in Jamaica!” She quickly kissed me on the cheek and skipped off toward her plane. I watched her as she walked away. She had on tight jeans and a blouse that you could practically see through. Her body was to die for, not soft like mine. I could stand to drop about ten pounds, but Monica said it made me look sexy with the added curves.

  I was about to turn around when Zoey yelled, “Maddie! No fish and chips. Your ass is already getting bigger.”

  My mouth dropped open as she laughed and waved to me before disappearing into the crowd.

  “Bitch,” I whispered before turning to head for my gate. I just wanted to get this stupid trip out of the way and get back home.

  THE GUY SITTING next to me at the bar had been eying me for a while when he asked, “What do you do for a living sweetheart?”

  I smiled and replied, “I’m an import manager.”

  “Nice. What brings you to London?”

  I laughed. “Chocolate.”

  He took a sip of his beer and said, “Chocolate huh? I’m pretty sure you have chocolate in the States.”

  I took a sip of my wine and nodded. “Our supplier asked me to come with them to London. We were trend shopping. I’m helping them with their packaging before visiting the factory we ship from.”

  He looked at me like I’d just spoken in another language.

  He was from the States, too, and the wedding ring on his finger wasn’t lost on me. He turned to me and said, “Listen, babe, do you want to come up to my room or what? This small talk is getting old.”

  What?

  I glanced at his ring before looking him in the eye. I smiled as I drank the last of my wine. Grabbing my purse, I slipped off the barstool and faced him.

  “Why don’t you think about this for a bit?” I said. “You have a wife back home, maybe a child or two, but I sure hope not. What do you think your wife is doing while you’re sitting here trying to pick up a lay? I bet she’s taking care of your house, the bills, the kid, the dog…all that shit a wife does. If you’re not happy, leave her. Don’t fuck around behind her back you asshole.”

  I turned and headed for the elevator.

  I am so over men, I thought. They are nothing but pricks. No one will ever hold a candle to Cale. None of them.

  Once in the elevator, I said a quick thanks to God that tonight was my last night in London. Three days in this town and I was ready to get back home. I hit the button for the tenth floor and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes.

  “Wait! Hold the elevator.”

  I know that voice. I was instantly taken back to two years ago, to a beach with the most beautiful green eyes I’d ever seen.

  I opened my eyes just as the doors closed. I quickly reached for the button to open them again, but the elevator began moving up.

  “No! No, no, no, no!” I yelled as I hit the button for the ground floor. The elevator continued to whisk me up to my floor. The doors opened and I hit the ground floor button again causing them to close as the elevator begin its descent to the ground floor.

  “Hurry, you damn thing,” I shouted. The doors opened and I ran out of the elevator. I looked around frantically. Where is he? I know it was him. It was Cale. I know it!

  I quickly walked over to the reception desk. The young lady working there looked up and smiled. “May I help you with something?”

  “Do you have a Cale…?” Oh. My. God. I don’t know his last name. “Um, do you have anyone with the first name of Cale staying here?” I asked as anticipation sped through my veins. The front desk clerk looked at me like I was insane.

  I know it was him. I’d know that voice anywhere.

  She smiled politely and began typing. “I, um…let me see if I can…uh…” I looked at her with pleading eyes before she smiled and looked back down at the computer screen. “Hmm, I’m so sorry. There is not anyone with the first name of Cale staying at this hotel.”

  My whole body sank with disappointment. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Miss Powers? Are you okay?”

  I opened my eyes and smiled, nodding. “Yes, I’m just…stuck in the past. Thank you for checking.”

  She gave me a confused look before smiling the way people do when they feel sorry for you. Or think you’re a lunatic.

  I headed back to the elevator. I needed to snap out of it. Why the hell would he be in England? I was never going to find him. Two years ago, I walked away from him, and now I had to live with that regret for the rest of my life.

  I walked into the elevator and took in a deep breath. I could almost smell him.

  “Jesus, Maddie. You seriously need to move on.” I said to myself. I pulled out my phone and sent Monica and Zoey a text.

  Me: Hey, girls. Coming home tomorrow. I need to get wasted and find a guy. Anyone up for a night out tomorrow?

  Zoey: Hell yeah I am! I know just the place to go!

  Monica: I’m down for a little bit of fun. Does this mean you’re finally letting him go?

  Zoey: Oh, the mystery man, Cale! Jesus Maddie. You need to get screwed and forget about him.

  Me: Monica…yes and Zoey…I know. Tomorrow night is the night.

  I PULLED THE covers over my head and sighed. “Oh mother eff-er. I’m never drinking again,” I whispered. Last night’s events hit me like a brick wall.

  After getting back from London last night, I met with Monica and Zoey at a club. Zoey made me a bet that I wouldn’t ask a guy to dance. And not just dance, but dirty dance with him. I also had to make out with him before the night was over. Before I knew it, I was in the corner of the club with some guy feeling me up. I must have needed it, though. The feel of his erection grinding against me caused me to have a full-blown orgasm as he pushed against me and squeezed my breasts. When he whispered in my ear that he wanted to fuck me against the wall, I knew it had gone too far. I pushed him away, apologized for my behavior, and made my way back to Zoey and Monica who were sitting at the bar laughing.

  My phone rang and I jumped. I reached for it and somehow managed to speak, even though my mouth felt like it was packed with cotton.

  “Hello?”

  “Why, good morning! Do you remember your orgasm last night?”

  I rolled my eyes and let out a moan. “God, Zoey. Are you ever going to learn that if you dare me I’m gonna do it? It was a mistake, and I feel like a whore.”

  She laughed. “Please. When was the last time you had an orgasm?”

  I slowly sat up and leaned against my headboard as I tried to remember my last orgasm.

  “Umm…”

  “Yeah. See, if it takes you that long to think of the last time, you for sure needed it. Besides, he was hot and I’m kind of pissed that you got off as easily as you did.”

  “Change of subject. I did my part, now you have to up hold your end of the bargain.”

  I slowly dragged my ass out of bed and dragged my feet along the floor a
s I made my way to my bathroom.

  “What was it again?” Zoey asked with a chortle.

  “I believe I said you had to find a guy and date him for a month straight. No one else. Just him.”

  “That’s right. Has my mother been talking to you? She has been on my ass lately.”

  I smiled as I hit the speakerphone button on my phone and set it down on the sink. I turned on the water and splashed my face. “No, I haven’t been talking to your mother. She’s right though, Zoey. This lifestyle of yours is dangerous. You need to find someone.”

  I heard her sigh. “I’m fine! I can’t even remember the last time I was sick.”

  I turned off the water and headed to the kitchen.

  Coffee. I need coffee.

  “What are you doing right now?” I asked.

  “I’m about to walk into Starbucks. Why?”

  I smiled as an idea came to my head. “Are you outside of it? You haven’t gone in yet, have you?”

  “Nope, but I’m about to.”

  I giggled. “Okay, I’m calling in my bet now. Walk into the Starbucks. Go up to the first cute guy you see, take out your phone and tell him your friend has dared you to ask a stranger to dance.”

  Silence.

  I’d always wanted to do something like that, but I’d never had the nerve.

  “You want me to do what?”

  I finished pouring the water into my coffee maker as I smiled and sat down at the bar. “You heard me, Zoey Jones. Now do it. I’ll expect a full report.”

  She let out a sigh. “Come on, Maddie. That is something your bubbly little ass would do.”

  I laughed. “Listen, you and Monica made me push Cale out of my head last night by having a random orgasm with some stranger. It’s payback time, bitch.”

  “Fine. I see a very handsome guy sitting down inside. Maybe I’ll at least get a one-night stand out of this thing. I’ll call back later.”

  She hung up and I chuckled. No way in hell she’d do it. She was too shy. Besides, she would never be able to date just one guy for a month. I had this bet in the bag.

  I SAT IN Starbucks as I read the text from my mother. She was insisting that I join her and my father for some cousin’s wedding next weekend. I let out the breath I’d been holding and tried to figure out which of my friends’ sisters I could bribe to pretend we were dating, and then take to the wedding.

  I heard a woman clear her throat. I looked up to find a blonde girl, maybe five foot two looking down at me.

  “I never do this kind of thing, but my friend bet me and, honestly, I’m tired of the brat always winning. She bet me I couldn’t walk into a Starbucks and ask a hot guy to dance with me. So here I am. Asking you, said hot guy, to dance with me.”

  I looked around and then looked back up at her. “You want me to dance with you? Here? In Starbucks?”

  She made a funny face and nodded her head. I checked out her body.

  You need to move on, Cale.

  She was dressed to the nines and carried a Louis Vuitton handbag. My mother would like that. She was thin—too thin, really—but had nice tits. She chewed on her lip before she noticed me staring. She ran her tongue along her teeth and, for the first time in a long time, my dick jumped with anticipation.

  I stood up and, putting her hand on my chest, she said, “Listen, I’m not looking for anything else but a dance.”

  Too bad, I thought. She’d be a perfect date to the wedding.

  I smiled, but she was blankly staring back at me. “Do I get to know what your name is before we dance?” I asked.

  She smiled and winked. “Zoey Jones. And you?”

  I reached for her hand. “Cale. Cale Blackwood.”

  Something on her face changed. It was if she was trying to remember me from somewhere. The smile that spread across her face made me think she’d just figured something out—and that it made her entire day.

  “Cale? Your name is Cale?” She asked, smiling bigger.

  I nodded. “Yes ma’am. Do we know each other?”

  She tilted her head and ran her eyes over my body. “Did you graduate from the University of Florida two years ago?”

  I laughed and said, “Nope. University of Arkansas. But you’re right about when I graduated.”

  Her mouth fell slightly open. “Holy shit,” she said. “I’m finally going to win one,” she whispered.

  I pulled my head back and looked at her and was about to ask her what was wrong. “Listen, I didn’t want to say this before, because this whole thing is so crazy, but I have to admit that I’m super attracted to you. So here’s the rest of the deal: I’m also supposed to date the guy I dance with for one month, exclusively, to prove to my friend that I can be monogamous. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in helping a girl out?”

  I gazed at her lips as she slowly ran her tongue over them. I smiled, focusing in on that soft mouth. I met her eyes. She looked nothing like Maddie. Maybe this was the girl that could help me finally push that one night out of my head—and heart.

  “I need a date for a wedding this weekend.” I said. “Looks like we can both help each other out, Zoey.”

  She pulled me toward her. We started to dance to the sounds of Lily Allen playing across the speaker of her phone as she pushed herself into my growing erection. “Oh, trust me, Cale. I have a feeling we’re going to help each other out in more than one way.” She laughed and, for second, it truly sounded evil.

  IT DIDN’T TAKE long for me to figure out that Zoey wanted me as much as I wanted her. The way she flirted was giving my neglected dick a sliver of hope. I’d never met a girl and just taken her home to have sex, but all these crazy sightings of maybe-Maddie were pushing me over the edge. I needed to get her out of my head. I needed to move on.

  I’d given Zoey my address and told her to follow me back to my place. She pulled up, left her car, and began walking to the elevator, unbuttoning her shirt as she went. That’s when I knew it wouldn’t take long to wipe Maddie from my memory.

  The elevator doors opened and we stepped in. As soon as the doors shut, she threw herself at me and reached for my dick. She moaned into my mouth as I pulled her lips to mine and slammed her against the elevator wall.

  “Yes,” she said. “I like it rough. Fuck me. Fuck me hard, Cale. And no damn foreplay. I want it all, and I want it now.”

  Oh Jesus. I’d never been with a girl who’d said anything like that to me before. I reached up her shirt and pushed her bra up and over her tits. I pinched her nipple as she pulled her lips from mine.

  “Yes,” she hissed through her teeth.

  When the door opened she jumped up into my arms and wrapped her legs around me. I carried her to my apartment and fumbled with opening the door as she pulled my hair.

  “Hurry,” she said. “I need to be fucked. I’m so wet for you, Cale.”

  “Jesus,” I mumbled.

  I pushed the door open, and threw my keys on the table. I put Zoey down and she quickly pulled off her panties and tossed them to the side. She looked around my apartment, then walked over to my sofa and smiled.

  She slid her skirt down and pulled her shirt over her head. She undid her bra and began playing with her nipples. “Fuck me from behind,” she said. “Hard and fast.”

  Holy fucking shit.

  I unzipped my pants as I walked over to her. I pulled them down and stepped out of them. She pushed my boxer briefs off and my dick sprung out. Licking her lips, she dropped to her knees and took me in her mouth before I could even stop her.

  “Holy shit,” I said as I grabbed onto the back of the sofa. She moved her mouth up and down my shaft and moaned as she began playing with my balls.

  I grabbed her head and began fucking her mouth. I’d never done anything like this, with the exception of the night with Maddie. This was the type of shit Jack did, but there was something about this girl. It was like she knew exactly what I needed. I pushed her back when I felt my build-up.

  “Zoey, I don’t want t
o come yet.”

  She licked her lips as she stood up and turned around. She leaned over the back of the sofa and looked over her shoulder.

  “Hard. And fast. Make it so I can finally say I’ve outdone her!” she said as she winked at me.

  “What? Who?”

  “Cale. Fuck. Me. Now.”

  I quickly grabbed a condom from my bedroom. I rolled it on and returned to Zoey. With my hands on her hips, I began teasing her entrance with my tip. She wasn’t lying. She was soaking wet.

  She pushed her ass against me and whined: “I need this. Please, Cale. Give this to me. I need you to give this to me.”

  I dug my fingers into her hips and slammed my dick into her. She threw her head back and yelled out. “Oh God, yes! Fucking finally!”

  I began pumping as she kept repeating, “Finally! Finally! Fucking yes!”

  I wasn’t sure if she just hadn’t had sex in a while or what.

  “Does that feel good, Zoey?” I asked as I pounded into her over and over.

  “Yes! Harder! I want to feel that you were here! I want to remember this moment!”

  Soon, she was shouting. “I’m going to come! Yes! Oh fucking hell. Yes!”

  She moaned as I felt her pussy clamp down on my dick. As she pulled herself away, she turned to face me and smiled.

  “I want more,” she said. “I want to be fucked against the wall,” she said, jumping into my arms.

  I picked her up and pushed her up against the wall in my hallway. I rammed myself into her again and began moving.

  “Cale, faster. Jesus, do it harder. Harder!”

  Holy shit, this girl was crazy! She wanted to be fucked senseless. Jack was going to flip when I told him this shit.

  I gave her what she asked for. I could feel my build-up. “Oh God. Zoey. I’m so close.”

  She snapped her head forward and moved along with me. “Yes! Cale yes! I’m going to come again. Oh God, give it to me.”

  I grabbed her ass as I pushed in harder. “Zoey, I’m coming,”

  She smiled as she let out a scream. “Yes! Fucking yes. Oh God, this is perfect! I totally fucking won!”