Tit For Tat

He snored like a bloody bear in hibernation.

Unbothered and impossibly loud.

Kelly Ann’s eyes opened as sunlight filtered through the room, and she squinted.

Wait. Who was he?

Her head was pounding like a jackhammer, and god, she could barely remember where she was. A hard wall of muscle trapped her on the bed, arms wrapped around her protectively. One hand lay on her hip, and another was around her waist. She felt his hardness poking her behind, her very naked behind.

Kelly Ann slapped a hand against the arm wrapped around her body, and the arm retreated. When she slapped his arm, a flash of silver rippled through the air. Kelly Ann looked down at her ring finger, and her eyes widened. She then looked at the man’s hand next to her; he was wearing a similar ring. Was that there before? No. No, no, no.

Kelly Ann sat up and whirled around, meeting the eyes of the man she’d slept with.

Fuck!

Fucking Kiernan Hill stared back at her. He’d just woken up, bleary-eyed. His dark, wavy hair was all mussed up, as if she’d run her fingers through it a thousand times. His deep brown eyes were soft, looking at her with so much warmth and desire that Kelly Ann could hardly stomach it. Then there was the case of his nakedness, which was all too much all at once. His body was sculpted like a god, solid chest, strong shoulders, powerful legs…a sudden memory popped into Kelly Ann’s head. Sweat trickling over her breasts as he pumped into her again and again, making her moan, clawing at his back.

“You’ll take my cock, like the good girl you are,” his words, deep and sultry, burned like a brand into her mind.

Oh fuck. This was not good. She’d fucked Kiernan.

“Hey,” a small smile crept onto his lips at first. He scooted up and stretched his arms.

“Hey?” She all but panicked.

Kelly Ann grabbed a blanket to cover herself, getting up from the bed and almost stubbing her toe in the process. Now she had the extra space to look around a bit. They were in a hotel room, a large one. The bed they’d been sleeping and fucking on was a huge four-poster bed, complete with pink pillows and lush red blankets.

“Where are you going?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Kiernan.” Kelly Ann said.

“Kelly Ann.” Kiernan levelled with her, crossing his arms and sitting up as she took a few steps back, drawing the covers closer over her body. His eyes tracked her movements.

“This, this was a mistake.” Kelly Ann blurted.

For a moment, a myriad of emotions crossed Kiernan’s face. Shock, anger, confusion? His eyebrows drew inwards, and he ran a hand through his messy hair.

And then Kiernan said softly, “Was it?”

“Of course. We were drunk and got caught up in the moment; it could happen to anyone,” Kelly Ann started rationalising.

“Of course. You mean you would never do this with me otherwise?” Kiernan said, his jaw tightening.

“We had a drunken one-night stand, let’s call it a lapse of judgment on both our parts.” Kelly Ann said.

“And this?” Kiernan held up his left hand, the silver band glinting, taunting Kelly Ann into a further emotional spiral. She’d hoped he wouldn’t notice.

She had to keep it together. Things were coming back to her slowly. The good news about her final grades and then the celebrations, her flatmate and best friend Mira throwing her a party for her birthday at the same time…Kiernan turning up with her favorite flowers…but then getting so drunk she decided to fuck Kiernan and marry him? Where did Kelly Ann’s drunken self get the nerve? This was such a mess.

Kelly Ann’s phone rang from somewhere in the corner of the room, and she jumped around trying to look for it.

“Kelly Ann. Answer me. Was all of this just a mistake to you?” Kiernan said.

He didn’t command, but it wasn’t really a question either. But Kelly Ann couldn’t answer this question; she couldn’t handle this right now. She avoided his gaze and kept searching for her things, ignoring the underlying question.

Am I just a mistake to you?

She finally found her phone next to her bra, her dress torn apart and lying on the floor. It was just an alarm; she swiped it off her phone. A blush appeared on Kelly Ann’s cheeks as she looked at the remains of her dress. How in the hell was she supposed to leave this room without any clothes? Damn it. She had to call Mira. Covering her face with one hand, she dialled for Mira.

In the background, Kelly Ann could hear Kiernan swearing and then pulling his clothes back on. It didn’t take him long. In the few seconds that it took Mira to answer the phone, Kiernan had opened the door of the hotel room, shutting it behind him with measured force. He didn’t usually slam doors. But today, today, she had really upset him.

Kelly Ann let out a sigh. It was for the best, probably.

“Hey, K-bear. Soooo, how was your night?” Mira said upon picking up the call.

“Mira! Why did you let me come here with Kiernan?” Kelly Ann hissed.

Mira giggled, and she said, “Ooh, girl, you needed to get that fuck out of your system. Both of you. So wound up after weeks, even months of banter and sexual tension. Ooof, I’m so happy for you.”

“No! I did not need to ‘get that fuck’ out of my system! I see Kiernan every day in class, god. What am I going to do now!”

“Just be normal about it! Who knows, maybe he’d hit you up for round two sometime. Ooo then you guys could be fuck buddies.”

“This is not the time to joke around! I slept with my…my…”

“Your rival. Your frenemy. The object of your affection and masturbation,” Mira quipped.

Kelly Ann hated how Mira was being so jokey about it all, so chipper and bright.

“Ugh! Anyways. Listen, Mir, I need a change of clothes. Could you do me a favor and bring me a set of clothes?”

“Damn, son. He really tore your outfit up, huh? That hungry.” Mira said.

“Where are you? His apartment?” Mira asked.

Kelly Ann looked outside the window at the signs and said, “I’m in Vegas.”

“What! You guys went all the way to Vegas? Wait. Stop. Kelly Ann. Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Mira gasped.

“It was a mistake,” Kelly Ann said the words again.

“Sure didn’t look like a mistake when you climbed into his lap and made out after drunk twister,” Mira mentioned.

The memory pulsed into Kelly Ann as Mira said it. He was all heat and tongue and teeth when they’d kissed. Experienced, but just as passionately burning for her as she was for him.

“I was drunk!” Kelly Ann said.

“Mhmmm hmm, okay, I’m there in an hour with Advil too, cos I love you. Hold tight, babes,” Mira said.

“Quickly, please.” Kelly Ann pleaded.

“Oh, chile, I will be, don’t you worry. Unlike your night of passion, which I bet was full of slow grooves and smooth like butter. How was it by the way? Was his cock as big as-”

“Mira!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop…did he have any piercings?”