(no) Strings Attached

Um, hey. Coming back at you with this three years later. I feel like I'm doing that, "Hey... hey... how y'all doin?" Tiktok sound. You know it? If you don't, just know that's fucking funny. Anyway, as the kids say, I'm back on my bullshit. Do they still say that? Let the record show that they once did. Geography is not my thing, FYI, so I'm keeping it vague. There will be three more chapters after this.

Chapter Two: Diners, Drive-Ins and Dicking

"You're being mega quiet."

I glanced up at Alexis and then quickly looked away, afraid she would be able to see everything in my eyes. "No, I'm not. I'm just tired."

She pursed her lips and picked up her coffee mug, eyeing me with suspicion. We were having breakfast in a rundown diner before getting on the road. Thankfully, Tyler was paying up at the register and Liam was gassing up the car, so neither were present for the investigation that was about to begin.

"Are you mad at me because you had to share a room with Liam? I said I was sorry."

"No, of course not." I poked at my eggs and tried to act normally, but all I could think of was his eyes scanning me from head to toe when we both woke up that morning.

I hadn't given him my answer yet. When I came out of the shower the night before, he was already asleep in his bed, breathing softly and looking almost cute in the muted motel lights. When we woke up to Alexis banging on our door the next morning, we didn't say a word to each other—not with our mouths, anyway. Every movement he made, every look he gave me, was... charged, to say the least. I thought about shoving him against the wall and kissing him but we didn't have time and I still wasn't sure what to do.

"There is something definitely up with you," Alexis said, drawing me out of my fantasies. "Tell me or I'll do something really embarrassing right now." She smirked when she saw my look of horror.

Alexis had a really high tolerance for embarrassment. She was the complete opposite of me, and she knew it.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, I definitely would," she said smugly.

"Fine," I sighed. "Liam kind of, uh, propositioned me last night."

She frowned. "Propositioned? Like, sex?"

"Yes. No strings attached sex."

I'd expected her to be shocked, or maybe even a little angry. I did not expect Alexis to burst into riotous laughter.

"It's really not funny," I said, knowing I was completely red.

She rubbed a tear away. "Claire, it's probably one of the funniest things I've ever heard. He's such a douche."

"He's a douche because he wants to have sex with me?"

She smacked my arm. "No, of course not. He's simply a douche. It's just that you're the last girl who would do something like that."

"What are you trying to say?" I asked, feeling strangely offended.

Alexis rolled her eyes. "Calm down, I just mean you don't do casual sex. He has to know that."

"Well, since you apparently told him not to get in the way of me and "dicking", he must think I'm sex-starved or something. So, thanks for that."

"Ha!" She finished her coffee. "Look, Tyler is coming back right now, but I want you to tell me you're not considering it."

"You just told me you wanted me to hook up with someone on this trip. At least I kind of know Liam."

"I certainly didn't mean you should hook up with Liam! He has "heartbreak" all over him." Alexis sighed. "Just trust me on this, okay? Sex with him would be devastating."

"Devastating?" Tyler asked, sidling up to the table and grabbing Alexis's unfinished toast. "What's devastating?"

Alexis smiled up at him. "Don't worry your pretty head about it, dear."

Tyler's eyes swung between us and then he shrugged. "I probably don't know what to know, anyway. Liam is parked outside."

"K, we'll just be a sec," Alexis said. She waited for him to walk away before turning back to me. "So, what are you going to tell him?"

I studied Alexis's face; it was obvious she wanted me to say I was going to turn him down, and I knew she was just looking out for me. But the truth was I was tired of being Claire, the girl who was easily embarrassed and went with the flow. That Claire had just gotten dumped spectacularly, and truth be told, she wasn't that happy in general.

And then I realized I was thinking about myself in third person and shook my head.

"No," I lied.

Alexis beamed at me. "Excellent."

*****

"Um."

Liam looked up from his phone and squinted his eyes to look at me in the afternoon sunlight. Alexis and Tyler had begged him to stop at a gas station so they could use the bathroom. I waited for them both to disappear before approaching Liam, who had been leaning against his car, looking like every bad boy fantasy I'd ever had. He hadn't looked or spoken to me since we got in the car from the diner and I found myself desperate for a little interaction with him, but now that I'd begun, I didn't quite know what to say, and his offer from the night before lingered between us.

"Yeah?" he prompted when I stood there like a moron for a couple of minutes.

"Your proposition. I wanted to talk about it."

"My proposition?" He looked too amused for my taste and I started worrying that it had all been a joke.

"Uh, yeah. You know."

His eyes swept over me. "I know."

"So, yeah. Yes. I mean... yes."

He smiled and it was as breathtaking as it had been the night before. "Is that a yes to my proposition, then?" And he'd said "proposition" like it was a dirty word. It was difficult to not show the effect he was having on me, and honestly he probably could tell, anyway. So I leaned into it and just let myself embrace it.

"Yes."

"Hmm." He straightened up and looked down at me, all amusement gone from his expression. "Are you sure that's something you're interested in?"

I struggled keeping eye contact because it was intense and weirdly intimate, considering we were in front of a rather busy gas station, but I forced myself not to look away. "Yes. I think it would be good for me."

He rubbed at his lips and I couldn't quite look away from this mouth after. He had soft lips. I wondered if they'd feel soft when we kissed.

"It's going to be very good for you," he promised in a low tone that had me feeling rather pathetically weak. I'd never experienced anything like it.

"We can't be obvious about it, though. Alexis doesn't really approve." I could feel myself blushing. "I hope you don't mind that I told her about it but she kind of knew I was, um, distracted."

"Distracted, huh? Were you thinking about what you were going to say to me or were you already fantasizing about what we were going to do?"

I smiled. "A bit of both."

He lifted his eyebrows and looked me up and down again. "A bit? I've been thinking about it way more than a bit." He leaned back on the car. "Are you sure you want to keep it a secret from Alexis? I know how close you are."

I looked over my shoulder to see if they were coming back yet. "I'm sure."

"So I'm your dirty little secret."

I turned back to him. "And I'm yours."

He smiled again and I was seriously tempted to ask him to stop doing that because I thought it was rather rude he could look that heartbreakingly good-looking. What happened to the broody, ultra-serious dick who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else than by my side? "I like the sound of that."

Then he reached out his hand and stroked the side of my cheek, letting his fingers linger for a moment before dragging them down to my lips. His thumb pressed on my lower lip while his others just barely skimmed over the sensitive skin of my neck. I felt something unidentifiable, something unruly and desperate, blooming inside of me, and without really thinking about it, I slipped my tongue out to run over my lip and his thumb. His eyes jumped up to meet mine and he swallowed hard. Then he flicked his gaze over my shoulder and tore his hand away, taking several steps back.

"We got snacks," I heard Tyler call out.

I put my hands to my burning cheeks, irrationally thinking I could somehow soothe them. Tyler and Alexis joined us and we all got in the car, me sitting up front with Liam this time.

"You're all red, Claire, what's the matter with you?" Alexis asked once Liam pulled back onto the road.

"It's really hot," I said. Tyler handed me a water bottle from the backseat. "Thanks. By the way, it's my turn to pick the music."

I plugged the aux cord into my phone and picked a cheerful song that always put me in a good mood. Liam shot me a look. "What?"

"Just wouldn't have thought this would be the kind of music you'd listen to."

"Not sure if that's a compliment or not," I laughed. "And I listen to all different types of music."

His nose scrunched up. "What language is it?"

"I don't think it's any language, actually."

"Interesting."

"Interesting? Well, pardon me," I said, laughing again. "What music do you listen to?"

Alexis leaned forward to pop her head between us. "You both listen to trash. I want to hear something else, please."

"We agreed we would take turns," I said.

"That was before I knew you were going to play weird shit."

"I mean, there's not much you can do about it now. I have the conch." I held up the aux cord for emphasis.

"What the fuck is a conch?" Alexis asked.

Liam made a sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Alexis narrowed her eyes at him.

"Did you just fucking laugh at me?"

"Who's who in this scenario? Are you Jack?" Liam asked me, ignoring her.

I grinned. "Shush, you'll only confuse her more."

"What the fuck? This is not cool. Tyler, I'm being bullied."

"You kind of deserve to be bullied. You don't know what a conch is."

"Tyler!"

I sighed and changed the song. "Happy?"

"Lorde is satisfactory, thank you."

Liam huffed a laugh and smiled over at me.

*****

We took a break in Springfield, Missouri. We were all tempted to stay there, but Alexis was getting anxious about her schedule and Liam seemed antsy, too, for some reason. We agreed we'd pop into yet anther diner for dinner and went over the itinerary again. The guys stood to go to the bathroom before we left, and that's when Alexis started on me.

"You told him yes, didn't you?" she asked, but it wasn't really a question. "You're both almost chummy now."

"Ummm." I was a terrible liar and she knew it. It was better to fess up. The problem was I was also a chickenshit. I took a very innocent sip of coke and gave her a very innocent look. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Claire, we both know you're a terrible liar." I was offended, even though I'd just thought the same thing.

"I'm a great liar."

"Claire. You told Liam yes about the proposition, didn't you? You've lost your fucking mind!"

I stole a fry from her plate. It was a testament to how upset she was that she didn't fight me for it. "Fine. I did. I think it would be a good idea if you just ignore it."

"I can't ignore it. You're my best friend and I love you."

"Then support me. This is the first time I'm feeling excited about something in a long time."

Alexis put up her long dark hair and blew a deep breath through her lips. "God, when you put it that way. But Claire, seriously, be careful. He's such an asshole. I've disliked him from the very first moment when he told me that

Love Island

wasn't serious television."

"Well, it's not serious television. It's great trash."

"There are just some things you don't say out loud." She looked me over and sighed. "So, you're doing this?

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dicking

? Minus Guy Fieri?"

"You're so gross sometimes," I said. "Funny but gross."

"She really is," Tyler agreed, sliding back into the booth, "and she's all mine."

Alexis stopped me just as we were getting back in the car and Tyler and Liam were messing around with each other. "Seriously, Claire—"

"I know, I know. Be careful."

She squeezed my shoulder. "Don't feel like you can't tell me about it. I will always support you in everything you do, except when you wear those hideous gray shoes. I'm just worried. I hate the little toad but I'm not blind. He has his charms. And Tyler likes him so he must have something good about him. Just don't... fall in love with him or something."

I snorted. "I really doubt one could do such a thing in such a short period of time that we have for this road trip. And c'mon, Alexis, would I really be that stupid?"

*****

"You told her," Liam said once we shut the door to our hotel room.

I looked up from where I collapsed on my bed and gave him a sheepish smile. "Uh, she guessed."

He unbuttoned his shirt. I tried not to gawk... much. "Doesn't matter to me."

"It doesn't?" I asked, only half paying attention. Liam was shirtless. He wasn't overly built-up or anything, just lean and slightly defined.

"I told Tyler."

"You did?" I gasped.

He sat on the edge of my bed and I fought back another gasp. "I'm not interested in sneaking around to fuck you, Claire. And Alexis and Tyler are probably gossiping about us as we speak. This is the most exciting thing to happen to them in a long time."

I laughed.

"Funny we have all these dramatics and declarations happening and we haven't even slept together yet," I said. "Maybe we'd better stop while we're ahead."

Liam almost smiled. "If we don't hook up soon, Alexis might find someone else to "dick" you. I'm more convenient."

"You're getting off of annoying Alexis, aren't you?"

He ran a hand down my arm. "You think I'm into that?"

"I have no idea what you're into, but I'd like to learn."

The air conditioner was the only sound as he stared down at me, studying me like I was some ancient text with answers to whatever mystery he was seeking. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Surely no strings attached sex didn't require all my secrets.

"Aren't you going to kiss me?" I asked, shocked at my own boldness. I'd never been so straightforward with a guy before.

I expected Liam to laugh at me or say something sarcastic back. Instead, he leaned down and kissed me, just like that. And what a kiss. His lips were soft and full as they moved against my own, and the tense muscles in my body relaxed just as he slipped his tongue inside my mouth. It wasn't as awkward as I'd secretly suspected it might be. It felt natural, like of course we were going to share a brilliant kiss.

His fingers found my sensitive inner thigh, covered by the thin fabric of my leggings. I moaned into his mouth, which he must've liked because his fingers grasped my leg more tightly.

Liam leaned back and met my eyes. "If you want to back out, I understand."

"What about my reaction made you think I want to back out?"

He pressed his fingers against my covered pussy. I made a desperate noise and his eyes flared with satisfaction. "Don't be a brat, Claire."

It didn't take long for us to shed our clothes. He pushed my leggings down and threw them somewhere over his shoulder. While he yanked his pants down, I pulled off my shirt and laid back against the pillows. He kneeled onto the bed at my feet. Now down to our underwear, we stared at one another.

"I've wondered what you looked like naked for a long time," he whispered.

What? "What?"

"Don't look so surprised."

"Well, I am. I never had any idea."

He lifted my foot and kissed my ankle. "Now you do," he said against my skin.

He climbed up my body, kissing random places until finally we were face to face.

"Can I see all of you?" he asked.

"Only if you show me yours, too."

He smirked and pushed back up to work his way out of his boxers. And then his cock was out and the reality of the situation hit me. Naturally, I knew what sex was and what it entailed and what body parts were needed for such an occasion. I knew at some point we would be having the aforementioned sex. It's just that...

really

having it was a bit of a shock. Of course his cock was perfect and hard, looking like it desperately needed to be buried inside of me. And who was I to deny it?

"We don't have to," Liam said, reading my hesitation incorrectly.

"I want to," I promised, cutting off whatever he was going to say next by touching his cock. "I want you."

He moaned long and low, shoving his under my bra to grab one tit. He squeezed and I gasped. I'd never gasped so much in my life before. "Maybe we should just mess around like this for the first time."

"Maybe you should shut up and fuck me," I breathed.

That must have been enough for him. He ripped off my bra and panties and stared. I was getting anxious again, but he was back on me before I could speak. His hardness pushed insistently on my pussy, sliding through and landing on my clit.

"Holy... fuck." I shook my head as if it would stave off the orgasm that felt frighteningly close. "Put it inside. Give me your cock."

"Never pegged you for a dirty talker." Liam fisted his cock and let it move through my wetness a few times, never taking his eyes from mine.

"Shut the fuck up and fuck me, Liam."

He paused. "Say my name again and don't stop."

"Liam. Liam, Liam, Liam." He pushed inside in one sure stroke, stretching me. It had been a while so it burned a little. Still, I was wet and horny enough to take it. "

Liam

."

"Shhh." He pulled out and then slammed inside again. "I've got you."

I held onto the sheets as he picked up the pace, fucking me harder and more skillfully than I'd imagined. My pussy quickly got used to his cock, letting me just lie back and take his thrusts. He dropped his head down to my throat, kissing and sucking, while his left hand toyed with my nipples.

I didn't normally have orgasms from just fucking, but the orgasm that had been lingering ever since he started playing with my body was approaching fast. My entire body spasmed with the force of it. It was violent, all-consuming, rough and very dirty.

"Liam!"

"Fuuuuck." He shoved himself in deep and came, unable to fight the intense grip of my pussy around him.

We laid next to each other as we attempted to catch our breath. I expected it to be a little awkward after, and maybe it was, but mostly I just felt... I wasn't sure.

I looked over at him, my eyes scanning over his sweaty beautiful body. He was already looking back at me and his face reflected the hunger I felt. I wanted him again. The lust hadn't retreated even a little bit.

So, I felt overjoyed. Satisfied. Hungry.

Fucked.

I was fucked.