Saving Emmy by Rayne Lewis

Chapter 27

“Is he as hung as you’d hoped?” Hopefulness rang in Maven’s tone. “He’s not bent or crooked, ya’ know, like any deformities or growths?”

Ember hung her head. Why? Why would any sane person ask that question. The answer stared back at her. Maven. Maven wasn’t sane.

Sometimes, Ember wondered if there was an undiscovered gene or chromosome that made Maven...Maven. Maybe it would be named after her? Although, it would be a gene mutation, something that would baffle scientists, and would be studied and dissected by great thinkers and great minds. The diagnosis would be as shocking as cancer or some other terminal disease. “I'm sorry to inform you, you’ve contracted...the Maven. And people would wallow and wail and hold benefits for the ill-stricken person. Masses would come to grieve. It’d be awful!

Maven had rushed over when Ember called and told her she’d spent the night with Eli and they’d had a mishap with a condom. Maven didn’t even say goodbye, just ended the call and was banging down her door thirty minutes later. Without Ember knowing, Maves stopped at the pharmacy and got her a Plan B Emergency Contraception pill. Ember wasn’t sure if she should take it, but Maven told her she had five days to decide. Maven wanted all the details, a play-by-play of the “good parts” as she called them.

“It’s bent, isn’t it?”

“What—” Ember lost her thoughts and tuned back into her friend.

“You didn’t answer, so that means there’s something wrong with it. Is it gross?”

“No, it’s fine, it’s—”

“That’s ok hun, you can work around it. Maybe there's medical treatment.” She picked up her phone and started to google, speaking out loud, “Crooked wangs…” She started to scroll.

Ember pulled the phone from her hand and said, “It’s fine.”

Maven pursed her lips and raised a brow, “Just fine. Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” She put her hand on Ember’s knee. “Well...at least he’s cute.”

Ember closed her eyes and shook her head. Why? Dear, God, why?

“Nothing wrong with his...wang. It’s absolutely perfect.”

“Does it—”

“Conversation ended. Not talking about it.” Ember got up, walked to the kitchen, opened the freezer, and swapped out the bag of peas.

“Hold up. You finally lost that V-card you've held onto for thirty-some years—God knows I’ve tried to get it cashed for you—you cash it at the Bank of Eli, a guy that’s loved you for...like forever, and now you’re not going to tell me the deets! That’s brutal, bitch!”

“Bitch. Really?”

“Shoe fits.”

Ember came back to the living room, threw down the bag, and sat in the overstuffed armchair.

“Shit! Cold, so cold.”

“Bet, you’re thanking me now for that little trick.” Maven pointed to the peas and gave her a sassy you’re welcome look and laughed.

Ember didn’t reply, just nestled the bag of frozen peas between her thighs and sat back in sweet relief.

“Probably hurts because of the bend. Does it have a knuckle?”

Ember couldn’t hold back and she split with laughter. Laughter so hard it hurt her swollen vajayjay.

“No,” she said through her laughter. “No knuckles, no bends, no deviations, no kinks.”

“Speaking of kinks—”

Eli walked in the front door with Cypher and Ember was never so grateful for the interruption. Seeing Eli, she felt her heart swell. Thank God for great timing. Then, she remembered the crotch peas and was mortified. Not only would Eli see them but Cy would too. Oh, God of mercy! She closed her splayed legs, hoping they hadn’t seen them.

Eli made a beeline to Ember.

“Babe.” His face was all one big smile. He held out a hand for her to stand but instead, she grabbed it and pulled him to herself. He kissed her hard, not caring they weren’t alone, and then nipped at her ear.

Oh...my, God!Her libido rose one-hundred and ten percent. She swore her loins just boiled the entire bag or frozen peas. He lingered at her ear, inhaling her, then Cy cleared his throat.

“We’ll come back to this,” he whispered in her ear before nipping once more.

“Get a room!” Maven feigned disgust.

“It’s my house.” Ember shot back.

“Room!” Maven pointed over her shoulder, behind the couch, to the hallway. “Use it.”

“Guess we’re going to be seeing a lot of this.” Cy stood next to Maven who was eyeing him up and down, examining him as if she were buying prime stock at a stud show. She knew Cy. He hung out with Eli, who hung out with Ember, who hung out with Maven, so they weren’t an official “group,” but they were a gang. Also, his brother, Channing, ran an investment firm and Maven was his personal assistant. “What’s your shoe size?” Maven blurted out the question to Cy.

“Maves!” Ember gave her a stern warning with one word.

Maven ignored her bestie and continued her perusal, stopping, again at his shoes.

“Well?” She twisted a lock of her hair, putting the tip of it in her mouth. Today, she was wearing her innocent ponytails. Not the adult version banded below each ear. No, Maves had the third-grade, pull-my-pigtails-naughty-schoolgirl kind, banded on each side of her head, complete with red satin ribbons. The I'm-waiting-to-be-punished kind. She could turn on Sex Kitten or Sex Slave like a switch.

“Twelve-and-a-half.”

Maven raised her brows to her hairline and bit her bottom lip, still nibbling on her hair ends. “Narrow or wide width?”

Cy sent her a sex laden smirk that dripped sin. “3E.”

Maven nibbled her lip some more, then took out her phone and began typing. A few swipes, and she studied her phone screen.

Eli started talking, “Gonna grill out. We bought steak and chicken. Picked up a few salads—”

Maven gasped and the hair she was nibbling fell from her lips. The trio stopped talking and all eyes went to Maven.

“Problem, darlin’?” Cy laid on his Texas accent, hitting the ‘R’ low and sultry. Ember knew he spoke ten languages, so dialect and accents were second nature to him. He wasn’t a Texan. He was actually from southern California, but you’d never known it by the southern drawl he used on her.

“Ah, I gotta, ah...go to the bathroom.” She was down the hall like a shot.

All eyes followed her down the hallway, then Eli finished his thought. “Picked you up some chicken breasts, and I’ll make some of that honey glaze you love. If you’re hungry, we’ll get the grill started.”

Ember squirmed in her seat because the frozen peas were freezing the same area since the guys walked in. “That’d be wonderful. I can whip up something for dessert.”

Eli sat on the armrest of the chair, holding Ember’s hand. He lifted it to his mouth, placing a kiss on her fingers, causing her to break into a giddy, girly smile.

Cypher took the seat on the couch Maven had just vacated. “Just want to say, I think this is really cool.” He motioned back and forth between Ember and Eli, “Really happy for you two.”

Eli and Ember exchanged looks and grinned back at Cy.

“We’re happy, too.” Eli stole a second glance at his girl, “It’s a long time coming.”

“We all knew it would happen sooner or later.” Cy looked down the hallway then back at his friends. “There’s someone for everyone, right?”

“Just can’t believe you all knew it.” Ember closed her eyes and shook her head.

Cy rolled his lips, “Kinda hard to miss, Em. If his ‘doe-eyes’ didn't give it away, his uber over-protective don’t-touch-her-or-I'll-kill-you attitude was a dead giveaway.”

Eli glared, “Doe-eyes my ass!” He shot back.

Cy tilted his head and made an exaggerated, dopey, wide-eyed, lovesick stare that had Ember giggling.

“Fuck off!” Eli shot the barb at Cy with a laugh. “I don’t do that.”

“Oh, yes you do!” Mave’s voice carried from the hallway. She walked around the couch and took a seat next to Cy, so close she could have practically been in his lap.

“We all talk about it.” Maven gave them a duh expression, while Cy nodded his head in agreement. “We’ve watched him pine over you all these years like a lost puppy, and you just patted him on the head thinking he was just there to be a companion, when he really wanted to be your lap dog. Ya know, hump your leg and jump you so hard we’d have to break him off you with a firehose.”

Cy let out a roar and three shades of red covered Ember as she tried not to laugh, hiding her head in Eli’s side. Slate gave his teammate the finger.

Ember feigned a pout and glared at Maven, “Would’ve been nice to know.”

“Telling you he wanted you would be like telling someone the sky’s blue. Well, no shit Sherlock! How you were so oblivious to him is absolutely mind boggling.”

“Well, fine, laugh all you want, he’s mine now and it’s a forever thing...not a fling.” She caught Eli’s eye.

“Never gonna leave, babe. This,” he motioned between them, “is forever.” The passion in his voice was sincere. He leaned over and gave her a smoldering kiss. Ember didn’t care that Maven made a gagging noise.

“How ’bout we get those steaks on the grill.” Cy broke the lovesick moment.

“Sounds like a plan.” Eli pulled Ember from the chair.

Fuck!

“Peas?” Eli’s focus went from the soggy bag of melted vegetables to Ember’s mortified face. His raised brows and smirk as he made the connection made her want to crawl in a hole and die.

“Impressive, man.” Cy slapped his friend’s shoulder and he headed out the patio door to fire up the grill.

“That knuckled wang of yours ravaged the hell out of her coochie. Thing probably looks like a rabid beaver, all foaming mouth and snarling teeth.” She started to walk away, “She’s one lucky bitch!” Maven laughed and went to join Cy on the deck.

Eli turned back to Ember, a grin stretching his face coupled with a smug, cock-sure gleam in his eye. To say Ember was embarrassed was the understatement of the year. If the earth would split and swallow her whole it would be nothing short of merciful. He leaned over, brushed his lips to hers, then whispered, “I don’t know about the knuckle, or whatever, but if you're not too rabid, I’m hoping you have an entire case of peas, because I’ll be ravishing you later. Ice up now, ’cuz it’s going to be wild!”

Holy hell...I’m one lucky bitch!