Cat Snips - a Short Story Collection by Cat Johnson Read online

  She didn’t have time to contemplate further the odd feeling that something was missing as the doorbell rang.

  When she opened the door, good old reliable Jeff, sandy-colored hair sticking up like he’d just rolled out of bed, stumbled in. He dumped his jacket onto a chair and headed directly for the bedroom. When she didn’t immediately follow, he stopped in the doorway and turned. “What’s wrong?” The brow above one of his baby blue eyes was still creased from his pillow.

  Meg shrugged. “I don’t know. I just thought you might kiss me, or say hello or something, before we went directly to bed and fucked.”

  His eyebrows shot all the way up to meet the straight hair messily covering his forehead. He looked at her strangely for a second, as though he was surprised she’d want a bit of romance from him. “Oh really? I can do romantic if you suddenly want wooing, but you have to call before midnight. At this hour, what you see is what you get. Now are you coming to bed or not?”

  With a soft humph, she followed him and his trail of discarded clothing into the bedroom. Meg was just in time to get the view of his very tight and, as she knew from hands-on experience, very squeezable white ass as his sweats followed the t-shirt he’d already thrown on the floor and he crawled into her bed. Parts in her lower anatomy clenched in anticipation of what was to come.

  She had to give him credit, what Jeff lacked in the fashion department he made up for in what lie underneath. Hmm. Were his shoulders wider and his waist narrower than before? “You been working out a lot lately?” she asked.

  He grinned like a schoolboy. “Yeah. Can you tell?”

  Typical man. She nodded and smiled at the way he was so pleased she’d noticed. “You look good.”

  Meg pulled down the covers and crawled next to him.

  No, this was not the perfect arrangement she reminded herself while slipping off her bottoms, but it sure had its benefits. She adjusted the pillows the way she liked them for sex and spread her legs for Jeff as he nestled himself between them, already erect and ready like she knew he’d be. Good old Jeff.

  “Shit. Hold on.” Looking slightly ashamed, he rolled to the edge of the bed, grabbed for his sweatpants and pulled a foil packet out of the pocket.

  Meg frowned. “What are you doing?”

  One of the good things about being with Jeff was they didn’t need to use condoms. They had both been tested right after they started this arrangement and she was on the pill. Of course, they both agreed that if at any time either one of them were with someone else they would…

  Meg’s sucked in a breath with a loud, painful wheeze. “You’ve been with someone else.”

  At least he had the decency to look contrite, almost horrified actually, as he nodded.

  She was beyond shocked. “When?”

  “Last Friday night.” Obviously anticipating this wasn’t going to be a short conversation, Jeff threw the unopened foil package on the nightstand and leaned back against the headboard, hands clasped remorsefully in his naked and rapidly deflating lap.

  “While I was visiting my parents in Florida?”

  “Yes. I was out drinking with some of the guys from work and this chick at the bar was giving me the eye. I didn’t even notice at first. The other guys did and invited her over. She’d obviously had too much to drink.” He shrugged. “I didn’t intend for anything to happen, but she was too drunk to drive and she lives on my way home. I ended up driving her home.”

  Jeff didn’t elaborate about what happened when they arrived at her place. He didn’t have to. Meg felt ill. She must have looked ill too, because Jeff jumped to defend himself. “Hey, we agreed we’re not exclusive. Remember? We’re fuck buddies, Meg. Rule number one clearly states that it’s okay if either of us hooks up elsewhere as long as we wear protection. And you were gone for two whole weeks and didn’t even call me once to say you’d gotten there alive and your plane didn’t crash or something. How was I to know you weren’t with some southern boy down there?”

  “Well, I wasn’t,” Meg spat. In fact, she hadn’t even considered it.

  “Well, I didn’t know that.”

  She let out an unattractive sound. “Yeah, like that would have stopped you.”

  Jeff’s mumbled something that sounded like, “It might have.”

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Look, I’m here now, aren’t I? This doesn’t have to affect you and me at all. We’re still friends who scratch each other’s itch once in a while, just like we agreed months ago. Right?”

  Did that sound sarcastic? Bitter, maybe? And what right did he have to be either? He was the one having sex with someone else. Meg folded her arms across her chest defensively. Yeah, that itch thing had sounded good when they’d come up with it. So had Rule Number One. Neither was sounding so good anymore.

  Meg remembered the night vividly, the beginning of the “friends with benefits” agreement. She’d rented a DVD. A chick flick that Jeff had grudgingly agreed to watch with her since he’d had no other plans for the night.

  It turned out the movie had some pretty hot and heavy love scenes in it, leaving Jeff with a hard-on he tried to hide with the throw pillow and leaving Meg wet and wanting.

  It was that night the “two friends scratching an itch” theory had been born. No strings. Still friends. Still single and available, but they fucked each other when the need arose. Yeah, it had seemed like a really good idea then.

  Not so hot right now though, since she’d always thought she’d be the one to find someone else first. Maybe even fall in love and then she would end this side thing with Jeff, while still keeping his friendship, of course. She’d probably even have him be part of her wedding party when the time came. The best of both worlds, sex and friendship. But to have him beat her to it...

  Meg swallowed the lump suddenly in her throat. “Are you going to see her again?”

  He shrugged casually. How the hell could he be casual about this? “I have her number. Maybe. I don’t know. Why? I thought you wanted—”

  “I know what you thought,” Meg bit out.

  “And?”

  “And I don’t know.” Meg had a bad feeling she was pouting.

  Jeff crossed his own arms. “They are your rules, Meg. You made them. You have to live by them too, just like I do.”

  The bastard had her there. But dammit, this was no time to be logical. She screwed her mouth up unhappily. “I know.”

  Jeff let out a loud breath. “So does this mean I came all the way over here, after being woken up out of a dead sleep, so I can get bitched at and not have sex?”

  She considered the nauseous feeling in her belly and the strange tightness in her chest. She was totally not in the mood anymore. “Yup, that’s what it means.”

  He spun to face the opposite wall and yanked the covers over his shoulder. “Fine. But I’m not going back out in the cold. If you can’t stand to be in the same bed with me, you can sleep on the couch since you’re the one that initiated this tonight and then started changing the rules.”

  “Yeah, well…fine.” The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach intensified as she thought how the rules sucked.

  She’d be damned before she gave up her own bed to him. He would just have to deal with her being in it and mad, right next to him. She pulled her pants back on and flicked off the light switch.

  Slumping back against the pillow she crossed her arms in the darkness with defiance and held on tightly to her anger which only meant that even an hour later sleep still wouldn’t come even though Jeff had been peacefully snoring since his head hit the pillow. Men.

  Her head spun with visions of him being with someone else. It made her never want to sleep with him again, but at the same time, had her fearing that exact thing.

  Meg flopped over one more time, as violently and noisily as she could while cushioned by flannel and goose down. This time, the snoring stopped and she felt him roll toward her.

  “What’s wrong?” His voice sounded husky and sleepy.
<
br />   “I can’t sleep.” Swallowing her pride, the fear of losing him completely made her add, “and I’m sorry.”

  He reached out one arm and pulled her until her back nestled against his chest. “I’ll forgive you.”

  Staring into the darkness lit only by the nightlight in the hall, Meg let out a huff. “But honestly, Jeff. Are you telling me if we can’t fuck because I am out of town, you’re going to go out and pick up the first, possibly disease-ridden chick you find in a bar and take her home?”

  She sat up and flipped on the bedside light, flopping back hard and staring at him accusingly.

  He sighed. “I doubt she’s disease-ridden. She’s a nurse. And I thought you were sorry, so why are you still bitching?”

  What could Meg say to that? Because I never thought you would find someone else before I did. That sounded about as bitchy as you could get and she hated to prove him right. Instead, she bit her cheek and remained silent.

  He pulled her back against him again.

  “Mmm. Bitchy or not, I want you.” Jeff pressed his erection against her hip and she felt exactly how true his statement was. “Wanna play?”

  She didn’t object as he began to kiss her neck and then slid one hand into the pants of her pajamas. He snaked his finger between her clenched thighs, found and connected with her clit and she couldn’t lie to herself anymore. Hurt, angry, jealous but still when he touched her there, yes, she wanted to play. She just didn’t want to admit it.

  He chuckled. “Ah, the silent treatment. That’s okay. Your pussy has told me everything I need to know.”

  Meg’s mouth screwed up in distaste. “I hate when you use that word.”

  “I know. That’s why I use it. What word would you prefer? Cunt?” She heard the laughter in his voice.

  “No.” Definitely not.

  “Vagina, then?”

  Eeewww. She shook her head. “Too clinical.” And something a nurse might say.

  “Well, you think about it and let me know, but for your information, your female part that shall not be named is very, very wet.”

  “Yeah? Well that has nothing to do with you. I was reading a trashy novel before you got here.”

  “Ah ha. Finally, the real reason for the midnight booty call is revealed.” He nuzzled her neck, nipping gently with his teeth, driving her crazy as he slid two fingers inside the body part in question.

  Her head lolled to one side as she managed to grumble through the pleasure, “Fine, next time I won’t call you. I’ll take care of myself.”

  “Mmm. I like the thought of you pleasuring yourself. Where are those toys of yours anyway?”

  “Why?” she asked suspiciously. After six months of their being together sans electronic devices, now he suddenly wondered where they were? “Did your little sleazy barfly nurse have toys?”

  “Meg…” His voice held a warning while his hand stopped its blissful ministrations and began to pull away.

  She grabbed his wrist to keep him there. “Wait. I’m sorry.”

  “I’ll consider letting it slide this time if you break out your vibrator.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully. He sat up and with both hands pulled off the pajama bottoms she’d put back on after their earlier fight.

  She couldn’t figure out why he would be interested in her vibrator, but at the moment, in spite of her mad, she was too horny to care. She rolled toward the bedside table, slid open the drawer and pulled out the requested item. Her favorite big girl toy of them all, the pink Rabbit vibrator, which she had nicknamed Bunny.

  “As seen on Sex and the City,” the package had read. She figured if it was good enough for those girls, it was good enough for her and she hadn’t been disappointed. In the pleasure department, to date it had proved to be the best thing without a pulse a girl could get between her thighs.

  Jeff smiled at the sight and reached for the nightstand to grab the condom again. Her anger returned at the visual reminder of what he’d done last Friday night.

  Turning back to her, he took one look at her face and demanded, “Stop. I’m sorry I did it and I will get tested again as soon as possible. But for now, we’re stuck using a condom. Okay?”

  Sometimes it was a curse he knew her so well. Even if she wanted to hide what she was feeling, she couldn’t. He could read it all over her face. She’d learned never to play poker against him.

  “Did you at least use a condom with the nurse?” The last word came out sounding like a curse.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you carry them around with you at all times in case you get lucky?” That came out sounding pretty nasty also, but the thought he might be out looking for sex with others made her sick.

  He sighed deeply. “No, I don’t. She had them at her place.”

  “Figures,” Meg grumbled.

  He let out a short laugh. “What do you have against nurses anyway?”

  She hated being laughed at when she was mad. It made her even angrier. “Nothing.”

  At least, she didn’t used to. Apparently, it was just this one particular nurse…and the fact she’d fucked Jeff in particular.

  Jeff continued to run his hand up and down her bare leg while they spoke, causing her skin to prickle with goose bumps. Finally Meg’s need and curiosity won out over her displeasure. “Why did you want Bunny out?”

  “Bunny? You named it?” He laughed again.

  She looked away, embarrassed. “Yes. And stop laughing at me.”

  “I think it’s cute.” Jeff squeezed her leg and she looked up in time to see his warm smile.

  “Why did you want him?” she repeated.

  He grinned wider. “You’ll see. Trust me.”

  Meg frowned again. Good old predictable Jeff was proving himself to be not so predictable any longer. She wasn’t sure she liked this new turn of events at all.

  He didn’t give her time to consider it further as he leaned in closer. “Now come here and be quiet so I can kiss you.”

  She scowled until the pressure of his mouth forced hers into a different position entirely. As he kissed her deeply, his tongue sliding between her lips and stroking in and out slowly against hers, simulating what he would soon do to her body, she let her anger go. It was hard to stay mad at Jeff when he kissed her like that.

  Remembering their first kiss ever, that night months ago, she realized Jeff’s kisses had been her downfall to begin with.

  The strong, slightly rough touch of his hands roamed, pushing her top up. He had to break the kiss to pull the shirt off over her head. He gazed at her nakedness. Her nipples were puckering in the chill air, but he soon bent to warm her with his mouth.

  He took his time, nibbling on each breast, one by one, until her eyes closed with satisfaction. His fingers replaced his mouth, tugging gently on each nipple as he kissed a trail up her neck and ran his tongue along the whorls of her ear, sending a shiver through her.

  His hands were big, but good at finding the spots that drove her crazy. He so now, sliding down her body to slip two long fingers deep inside her, stroking her G-spot just right. She angled her pelvis up off the bed as the familiar pressure began to build within her.

  The only thought in Meg’s head was how badly she wanted to come, until he whispered, “I want to fuck you in the ass while Bunny is in your pussy.”

  That proposition shot her concentration all to hell.

  Eyes opened wide, she shoved him far enough away that she could look him in the face and evaluate if he was joking or just crazy. “What?”

  “I want—”

  “I heard you the first time.” She interrupted him. “Are you talking…anal sex?” She whispered the last two words.

  He nodded, looking hopeful. They’d never discussed that before. Meg didn’t know where the hell this suggestion had come from, but she had an idea and she didn’t like it at all. “Did you do that with her?”

  His expression changed and he pulled back. “No.”

  “Then where did you suddenly come up with this i
dea after all the times we’ve been together and good old fashioned sex has been good enough?”

  Okay, she could admit to herself the idea of a little anal play had crossed her mind a few times over her sexual lifetime. Jeff had even probed a fingertip there once or twice while performing oral sex on her. She hadn’t objected. In fact, it felt kind of interesting, but that was it. When it came down to actually suggesting more, she’d always chickened out.

  “One of the guys from work was talking about it at the bar. He says his girlfriend loves it. She told him the double penetration of the vibrator and his cock is amazing.”

  One of the guys at the bar. Where Jeff picked up the tramp. Before he fucked her. “So then why didn’t you do this double penetration thing with your nurse that night? Why waste all this time waiting around for me to come home from my trip?” Maybe the barfly didn’t own any toys, Meg thought nastily.

  He got a hurt expression in his eyes. “Because this is something you do with a person you know, Meg. I wanted my first time to be with someone I was comfortable with and cared about. Not a stranger. I wanted it to be with you. Okay?”

  In spite of herself, she melted at his sincerity.

  Maybe she was still special in his life, even after his romp with the tramp. “Okay.”

  Jeff’s eyes opened wide. He looked like a kid who’d just seen the ice cream truck pull onto his block. “Really? We can try it?”

  She couldn’t help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Yeah.” He leaned forward to give her a kiss until she stopped him. “Wait, you never had regular anal sex with anybody before?”

  “No. Well, not really, but kind of. And before you ask, no, not with her. With my college girlfriend.”

  “Scary Mary?”

  Jeff’s lips twitched as he tried not to smile at Meg’s longstanding nickname for his ex. “Yes.”

  “And?”

  He shrugged. “She got scared and made me stop before I even got the head in.”

  “Oh.” Meg lowered her gaze. Not that she would ever wish to have anything in common with Scary Mary but that was her exact fear too. That she would freak out and make him stop. “How do you know it’s going to work with me this time?”