Womanizer

The silence was shattered by Metallica's "Master of Puppets." Frowning and squeezing her eyes more tightly shut, Megan tugged the blankets over her head, inching closer to the warmth at her back. Her internal clock was telling her she hadn't been asleep for very long. Why was she being woken this early?

Behind her, Brian shifted with a groan. He reached over and groped around on the bedside table for his cell. He squinted at the screen in the early morning light streaming through the part in the curtains. "Shit," he muttered, stopping the noise. It was six-thirty a.m.

He set his cell down and briefly considered having a cigarette. Then, he looked over and a smile spread across his lips. Megan was burrowed under the blankets, only the top of her head visible. Brian peeked beneath the blankets. The sight of her completely nude body was a great start to his day.

Brian returned to his original position, spooning her small, slender figure. He placed his palm on her stomach and hesitated. Up or down? he mused, trying to decide the best way to bring her fully awake. He knew she had been disturbed by his alarm and wasn't deeply asleep. He wanted to give her something pleasant before reminding her that they had to be on the road soon. He had a flight to catch this evening and had to get back to Alabama in time to finish packing and make it to the airport.

Brian slid his hand upward. Megan's breathing changed slightly as he reached the soft mound of her breast.

"Good morning," he whispered, leaning over to brush his lips across her bare shoulder.

"I know you're male and therefore have no limit on when, where, and how often you get horny," she said. "But I am not. And it is obscenely early."

"It is six thirty-five in the a.m.," Brian confirmed, his hand staying where it was.

"Metallica and your sex drive have you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," Megan mumbled through a yawn. "I need coffee. Wait." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Why did you set your alarm for six thirty in the morning?"

"I have to get back," he replied. "I'm going to California tonight."

"Oh. Yeah." She stretched languidly and there was a twinge in Brian's groin. He wanted nothing more than to trace those curves with his hands. Or his tongue.

"I've got something better for you than coffee," he said huskily. "Much more stimulating."

"Bri, seriously, I--" she broke off as he reached around, gripping her chin and turning her head so that he could bring his mouth down onto hers.

With his lips holding hers captive, he let go of her chin. He trailed his fingers lightly down her stomach. She trembled when he traced her softly rounded hip and followed the line of her pelvic bone.

"Bri," she murmured against his lips.

"Hmm?"

"Want to multi-task?"

"Depends. What do you have in mind?"

"This." She pressed her lips gently to his in a chaste kiss. "In the shower."

"Smart girl." Brian threw back the blankets. He got to his feet, scooped Megan into his arms, and took her into the bathroom.

The shower became an indulgence, Brian and Megan lingering even once the water had begun to cool. Finally, they climbed out. Megan quickly dried off and put on her typical sweats and a tee-shirt. Brian stepped into a pair of jeans, but remained shirtless for the time being.

He went into the main room for a cigarette. Megan was sitting on the bed that neither of them had used, flipping aimlessly through the TV channels. "Weather, weather, news, talk show, weather..." she said, and cut the TV off. She tossed aside the remote and looked at Brian. "What are we doing about breakfast?"

"Picking something up on the way home. Unless you're hungry now?"

"Nah. But I do need coffee."

Brian chuckled. "You're addicted, you know that?"

"Says the man inhaling his sweet, sweet cancer. Oh, and the man who woke up with his sex drive already going at about 110 miles per hour."

"I didn't hear you complaining," Brian shot back. "Screaming, yes. Complaining, no."

Megan rolled her eyes. "That's hardly the point."

"I think that is exactly the point."

"Can we go?"

Brian watched her stuff the clothes she'd worn yesterday into the duffel bag she'd brought to hold her change of clothes and her toiletries. Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he ground his cigarette out in the ashtray and walked to her. "Megan."

She zipped her bag. "What?"

He forced her to face him. "Things aren't going to be weird, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act like you don't know."

Megan smiled. "Bri, everything's fine."

Brian studied her face. "And we're still in agreement that it was just sex, right? There's nothing more, like, attached to what we did."

"Of course."

"Okay. Let me grab my shit and we'll go."

**********

They stopped by the house Brian was renting for his luggage before heading on to Zacky and Janine's. Megan got out of the car just as Zacky emerged from the house.

"Bye, sweetheart," Zacky said, hugging her briefly. "Take care of Jani while I'm gone."

Megan saluted. "Yes, sir!"

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

Zacky slid in on the passenger side and Brian backed out of the driveway, waving to Megan as they sped away. Megan went inside.

"Hey, Doll," Janine called.

Following the sound of her voice, Megan found Janine in the living room. She was lounging on the sofa, feet propped up on a couple of pillows.

"Jeez, Jani, did you and Zee put another one in there?" Megan joked, looking at her cousin's swollen belly. Janine appeared on the verge of popping. Megan had been so caught up in her own life that she hadn't been paying attention to how big Janine was getting, or the fact that she was due soon.

Janine laughed. "Did you have a good time?"

Nodding, Megan perched on the edge of the overstuffed armchair. "The game almost gave me a heart attack." Not to mention the activities off the field, she added in her head.

"We watched it. When 'Bama missed that last field goal, I thought Zee was gonna drive down there and give Tiffin a swift kick in the ass."

"He needed it." Megan shook her head. "I swear, I had a mini heart attack. Thank God for Rashad Johnson's interception."

"I still can't believe Brian's traveling all over hell and half of the southeast to see Alabama play. Are you sure you're not hiding some kind of mind control powers?"

Megan grinned. "I wouldn't be likely to tell you if I was, now would I?"

"I guess not." Janine regarded Megan seriously for a moment, and Megan knew exactly where the conversation was about to go. She was not disappointed. "Megan, Brian hasn't made a move on you, has he?"

"No. We kissed once, but it was just the result of a bet."

"That's it? He hasn't propositioned you or, like, 'accidentally' touched you or anything?"

"Nope."

Janine raised her eyebrows. "I'm impressed. Maybe an old dog can learn new tricks."

Megan only felt a tad guilty for lying. Janine and Zacky would be very upset with her if they were aware of what had happened this weekend. They had both warned her away from Brian. Their opinions were not unfounded, Megan knew. Everything they'd said about Brian was basically true. But he wasn't seducing her. The sex hadn't meant anything. No one was going to get hurt, so why should she cause any drama over it?

Zacky and Janine would never understand. They'd be convinced that Megan was the victim, that she had fallen for Brian and was allowing him to use her, thinking that he would eventually reciprocate her feelings. They'd believe that Brian tricked me, just like all of the others. They would never be able to accept that I know exactly what I'm doing. It was just sex. I enjoyed it, Brian enjoyed it, and now we can move on with our lives.

There was only one thing about the situation that slightly bothered Megan. Well, two things, actually.

First, the sex couldn't really be blamed on a bet. There had been no wager. The bet that had resulted in their "date" had been their last official bet. Making out in the car hadn't been a part of the payment, and all that had occurred in Louisiana hadn't been, either.

Second, even if they could somehow explain away Brian getting Megan off Friday night and the sex on Saturday, they didn't have any excuses for what had transpired between them this morning. The deal had been one time after the Alabama/LSU game, regardless of the winner. So why had Brian initiated another encounter upon waking today?

He just wanted to fuck, she reasoned. We'd already agreed that sex between us wouldn't mean anything. He saw it as a way to get off without any strings attached. And who am I to complain? I got mine, too. I had great sex, twice, and I don't have to deal with any of the bullshit that goes along with it.

It was that easy.

"Megan?" Janine shot her an amused look. "You're a million miles away. It's a good thing I didn't go into labor in the last few minutes."

Megan rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched with a smile. "Ha ha."

"You're going to have to cook tonight," Janine said. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! What do you want?"

"Oh, I don't know. Surprise me."

"Can do."

Megan walked into the kitchen to begin preparing dinner.