by Amelia Star
“That was pretty clear,” I agree. “It’s hard for a little girl to have to grow up in a situation like that.” I reach out and take Alicia’s hand. She feels so warm and brimming with love, so much love to offer the right person who will return it equally.
“I can’t tell you how many times my mom has let me down like she just did. I have actually come to expect it to start with, and be surprised when she comes through. But I have to admit, when she comes through, she really goes over-the-top. It’s crazy—like she realizes suddenly how remiss she’s been, and is trying to make up for it.” Alicia picks up her fork and takes the bite of lambchop, savoring the flavor.
“Well, to tell the truth, I worry because I can’t see my daughter as much as I’d like. But her mother got custody, so I can only see Leslie every other weekend—unless something comes up like it did the other night. I’m always trying to get more time with her, but it’s an uphill battle.” I pause a moment, remembering, before going on, “We married so young, right after high school, and by the time we finished college, we both knew we had grown into different people and just didn’t have anything in common anymore—except Leslie.”
“Leslie seems like such a happy little girl, though. And I could tell she was thrilled to see you when you came to get her at the center last week.” Alicia takes a sip of wine, and leans back in her chair, setting her napkin on the table.
“We have a lot of fun when we’re together. And when we’re not, I have three classes of students and a team of football players to look out for. They became my kids when I couldn’t have Leslie around all the time. I feel as responsible towards them as I do towards her.” I never actually said that out loud to anyone, but now that I hear myself put into words what I’ve been feeling so long, a lot makes sense to me.
“Oh, Micah,” Alicia says. “That’s a big weight to put on your shoulders.”
“Well, I guess they were like substitutes for my daughter.” I lean forward and take Alicia’s hand. In her emerald green sweater tunic, by candlelight, her skin looks so soft and touchable. I want to reach out and take her in my arms. For now, I lift her hand to my lips and kiss the back of her hand gently.
“There is a whole world out there for you to explore, Micah. I know your students and your team players will always be important to you, but you don’t have to make your job your life.”
“That’s absolutely right,” I reply. And I hold up my glass to this incredible woman who might be the perfect one for me to start a journey beyond just work and the team. “To the future,” I toast.
We touch our glasses and drink to the future, and I feel the whole world opening before me with Alicia by my side.
FIVE – ALICIA
It’s chilly in the parking lot, and Micah takes my hand and pulls me close to him as we walk to our cars. “Do you have far to drive?” he asks.
“Oh, it’s only about twenty minutes to get across the river then to my place,” I tell him. “If you want to follow me, I could show you the way there. Then you’ll know where to come in the morning, to help me load up my supplies for my project.”
“That’s a great idea,” Micah replies and turns to me, his dark eyes gazing into my soul. “You are the most beautiful and fascinating woman I’ve ever met. You deserve all the love in the world being showered on you.” With those words, he pulls me into his arms and presses his lips to mine. Warmth and color fill me immediately—bright reds and oranges, autumn leaves falling over us, lights going on and off in my heart.
“Oh, Micah,” I purr as he presses me between his body and my car. “We should go to my place.”
“I’ll follow you,” he says, and kisses me one more time before we get in our cars.
Soon we’re there, in the living room at my place, and I can’t keep my hands off him. He’s so confident, so driven, and passionate. I know he’s learning to let go, if just a bit, and accept that his whole world can’t be his career. He’s making room for me, and that’s all I ask for.
I roll my tongue over his lips as he slips off his suit jacket. He is deliriously handsome, with his dark skin and incredible body. He towers over me easily, and I love how perfectly I seem to fit in his arms.
He’s always in such control of his emotions, but I’m starting to feel him lose it. His passion grows further and further as I rub myself against him, his arms wrapped around my curvaceous body. I love the way his dark skin creates such a beautiful contrast against my pale white skin.
“I want you, Alicia, every single inch of you,” he grunts as I unbutton his shirt, bit by bit, taking it tantalizingly slow.
He tries to kiss me, and I slip away just an inch, raising my eyebrow teasingly. “Oh, do you?” I ask, finally dropping his shirt to the floor and rolling my fingers over his perfect abs. He pants softly and raises his brow.
“You know I’m going to lose control if we keep going like this,” he says in a sensual, aching whisper.
I shrug, pretending I don’t know what he’s talking about.
He tries to kiss me again, and I slip just a breath away, remaining close enough to bite his lower lip teasingly.
“Alicia,” he grunts as I let go, his eyes burning with desire. This time, he doesn’t give me time to slip away from him. He grabs me in his arms and lifts me easily from the floor, his lips crashing against my own.
We kiss passionately, our tongues dancing together as if it’s the last time we’ll ever be together. But it’s only the first. And I know that I won’t lose him after today.
He walks confidently, keeping me close to his chest, taking complete control as he carries me bridal-style toward my bedroom. I squeal when he throws me on the bed, making me bounce gently, giggling in the process.
But my laughter only lasts an instant. Micah is on top of me in the blink of an eye, ripping my dress off and throwing it to the floor. He sinks his face in the sensitive nook between my neck and the beginning of my shoulder and starts nibbling at my soft, pale skin hard, making me squirm.
He takes advantage of my surprise and unhooks my bra swiftly, using the same quick action to reach for my right breast and squeeze it playfully. I moan, tilting my head back and letting him explore my body freely.
“Yes, Micah, yes,” I moan as his free hand continues rolling down, down, down, until he hooks his thumb on the hem of my panties. He pulls them off with a swift movement, and licks my neck before leaning up, and staring into my eyes.
All that separates us are his pants, and I know that they’ll only remain there for a moment longer.
“Are you ready, Alicia? Do you want me to take you? Claim you?” He asks with a soft, sensual tone. I see him pulling a condom from his pocket, and he stares intently into my eyes.
“I’ve never wanted anything so badly before,” I purr, and he grins at me, his breathing ragged and his skin hot.
He’s always so composed, it’s strange seeing him unable to resist temptation. And yet it’s so arousing to know that I can make him feel this way—that I can push him to give in to his every need, throwing caution to the wind.
Micah unzips his pants and kicks them off, and I finally feel his whole body pressed against mine, his dark skin on top of my own, his erection rubbing against my soaked entrance. He doesn’t push himself into me at once, but rather laps at my breasts, flickering my nipples until they are hard as a rock, his cock brushing against my entrance over and over. Smoothly, he enters me, and all the colors of the rainbow fill me entirely.
“I want you, Alicia. You are my world—my everything,” he pants against my neck as he leaves behind a trail of nibbles and kisses that drive me insane. Soon, he is moving faster and harder inside of me, making me want more.
“Harder, Micah, harder!” I plead, lost in the intensity of the passion, feeling him impaling me deeper, harder, faster, with each new thrust. I’m lost in his strong arms, and my sex clenches powerfully around his girth as if trying to draw him in further. “I want you too! I only want you—you are the only one!”
He shifts his head to the side and catches my lips on his own. We begin to move in perfect tandem, our bodies synced up like we belong with one another. I feel bolts of pleasure rushing from my sex to every corner of my body, and bit by bit, he drags me closer and closer to a powerful, mind-numbing orgasm.
When I feel I can’t take it any longer, that I’m just there at the edge waiting to fall, I embrace him tightly, sinking my nails against his back this time. He grunts, but this only encourages him to move in me harder, his stiff cock drilling into me like a well-oiled piston.
“Micah! Oh, yes, Micah!” I moan in a high-pitched voice, and finally, it’s there. Like waves crashing upon the sand, a powerful orgasm washes over my entire body. I tense against his body, pressing my thighs to his sides, wrapping my legs around his hips and pulling him oh so close to me.
I hear him grunt from what seems like a great distance, even though he’s only inches away, then his cock throbs sensually inside my very core. He’s wearing a condom, so I don’t feel his seed gush forth, only something like an electrical force charging through my body.
I close my eyes, panting heavily in the aftermath of my orgasm—but Micah isn’t done with me. Oh, not by a long shot.
He lets go of me, and I unwrap my legs from his hips. But instead of lying by my side, he begins moving down my body and finds himself between my open legs.
“No, Micah, I’m way too sensitive now,” I protest. But he doesn’t listen.
“You’ll enjoy it—trust me. Just embrace the intensity. It’ll enhance the experience,” he tells me as he slips his tongue over my clit and flickers it sensually.
The feelings flooding my body are intense and almost too much to bear. It feels pleasurable, yes, but at the same time it burns, it makes me squirm and try to escape his touch. He grabs my hips and pulls me closer, continuing to lick and suck at my clit, swallowing my arousal.
I squeal and pant, kicking almost without thinking. It feels so good, but at the same time, it’s too much. Like a kind of dull pain that doesn’t truly hurt, but rather aches, burns, deep inside. I moan loudly, and follow his advice, embracing the whole experience.
And is it worth it. Because as the discomfort slowly slips away, all that remains is a pleasure even more powerful and intense than the one I felt before. My body is still enjoying the afterglow of my previous orgasm, and everything’s in overdrive. So the pleasure is heightened in a way I’ve never imagined.
I’m not the kind of woman that comes twice in such a short period of time, but now I understand what Micah was talking about. It feels like pleasure piling up on top of pleasure, and it only makes my new orgasm even more mind-blowing than the last one.
I shriek and moan his name over and over as he continues to lick and nibble at my soaked pussy, never giving me a rest until I collapse on the bed, drenched in sweat and completely out of breath, feeling so overly sensitive that even placing a single finger on my pussy would make me come all over again.
But Micah gives me relief from the pleasure. He rolls up and lies by my side, grinning wickedly and possessively at me. He kisses me passionately, and even though I can taste myself on his lips, I kiss him back.
He pulls me into his arms, and we cuddle together, spent yet feeling happy—so happy.
SIX – MICAH
I wake to smells of coffee and cinnamon wafting into the bedroom. But it’s the idea of seeing Alicia’s smiling face that gets me out of bed.
In the kitchen, she’s just taken a pan of muffins out of the oven. She looks up and everything about her is perfect—her tousled hair, her short terry cloth robe, her floppy slippers. Her brown eyes are sparkling, and her pale skin is glowing. “Good morning, Micah. Are you hungry?”
It only takes a few strides and I’m across the kitchen and have her in my arms again. Nibbling at her ears and down her neck, I say huskily, “Oh, Alicia. It’s wonderful being here with you. I could just devour you all over.” I kiss her deeply, tasting coffee and hints of cinnamon from when she must have sampled the batter for the muffins.
Tilting her head back, absorbing my biting kisses, she laughs and takes my face in her hands. “I made something for you.”
“Yes.” I glance at the muffin tray. “You’ll need energy to create this mysterious project you want to work on today. Tell me about it—what exactly is this project?”
“Well, I started my Colors of the Seasons project months ago, back in the spring. Every season, I go to the Botanical Gardens and paint the Japanese bridge in that section of the park. It looks so different during various times of the year—and today should be perfect with the autumn leaves in color.”
“Wow, that sounds a lot more fun than what I usually do on a Sunday morning,” I say while we nibble on the cinnamon roll muffins.
“And what do you usually do this time of each week?” Alicia pours me a cup of coffee.
“Well, usually I’d be at my desk at home working on lesson plans for my chemistry classes. I’ve always liked getting my work done ahead of time so that I can focus on other activities with my students and the team during the week.”
“Oh, I see. You don’t even get weekends off.” Alicia takes a bite of a roll, then sets a second one for me on my plate.
“That’s the way it usually is. But today is going to be different. Today, I’m staying with you.” I pause and look across the table at her. She runs her hand through her tousled hair, making me think how every gesture she makes is beautiful.
“You know,” I continue, “when we met your parents at the steakhouse yesterday, I couldn’t believe how dismissive your mother was of your plans. She didn’t seem to give a second thought to skipping out on helping with your project.” I shake my head.
“Oh, Micah, actually, I wasn’t surprised at all. That was just another in a long list of times she’s left me out in the cold. Ever since my dad took off, she decided that maybe if she just ignored me, I wouldn’t exist.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Well, it wasn’t all bad. To a certain extent, her leaving me alone gave me room to become my own person. To become an artist. I had to be very creative to make a world that was beautiful, when the world around me wasn’t always that way.”
“I can’t wait to see some more of your work.”
“Well, most of my paintings are in the shed out back. I stored them there when I moved here. That’s where most of my supplies are. The shed’s a mess, and it’s not exactly temperature controlled. I need to either move my stuff into the house or get it fixed up before it really starts getting cold.” Alicia finishes off her coffee with a last sip.
“Should we get cleaned up and dressed, then go outside and have a look?” I ask.
“Sounds like a plan. You can also see the beautiful garden that the woman who lived here before me planted with her husband. But I’ll put all this away first,” Alicia tells me.
I’m heading into the bedroom for my clothes when my phone rings. For a split-second I think—Don’t answer it, this is Sunday. You’re here with Alicia, and that’s all that you need now.
But responsibility is a strong habit, and I fear something could be happening now that vitally needs my attention—I can’t help but answer the phone.
Standing in the doorway between the bedroom and the kitchen, I look at Alicia with her darling tousled hair and listen to the panicked voice on the other end of the line for a few minutes. Her face goes from smiling to concerned. Then, when she hears me say, “Okay, I’ll be right there,” her expression changes to the exact same one that was on her face last night when her mother let her down. She looks like a heart-broken angel as she turns away and faces the window above the sink that looks out onto the backyard.
“Alicia, I am so sorry.”
“Just go,” she says. She doesn’t even look at me, she just keeps cleaning up the kitchen.
“You don’t understand. It’s Jim—from Friday night. You remember, the player I was talking to at the barbeque for so long
? Well, it’s come down to the last straw for him. He could be sent to juvenile detention if someone doesn’t come quick and stand up for him. The situation is crazy.”
Alicia turns around, her face even more pale than usual. The sparkle in her eyes is gone, and all that remains is a cold, hard look, a wall of defense. I want to comfort her, to tell her it’s the last time that I’ll do something like this to her. But I don’t have time. I have to get to Jim’s before he’s taken off somewhere he shouldn’t be. He’s one of my kids, and there’s no one else there for him.
“Oh, I understand,” Alicia states flatly. “Just go, why don’t you. You have your priorities, that is very clear. I just thought maybe I might have a place in your day somehow also.”
Rushing to the bedroom to throw my clothes on, I hurry back out to the kitchen to let Alicia know I’ll be back as soon as I can. But she’s not there. All I can assume is that she’s gone outside, that she’s in the shed getting her supplies together. But I can’t think about that now. A kid’s life is on the line, and I’ve got to go.
SEVEN – ALICIA
It’s going to be a long day. I call Hailey and she is super sweet and comes to help me with my project. We really have a good time at the botanical gardens. While I work on my Colors of the Seasons painting of the Japanese bridge for autumn, I also have a chance to talk to her about what happened this weekend.
I was feeling pretty dejected right after Micah left, but out in the fresh, crisp air in the beautiful setting of these gardens, I feel a sense of resolve coming over me. “First my mom, then Micah, leave me in the cold. I’ve decided I need to just focus on my art from now on. My art has always been there for me.”
When we’re not talking, Hailey is reading a book by one of her favorite romance authors Liz Fox. “Of course, your art will always be there, Alicia. But you never know what else will happen in your life. People can change—you’d be surprised.”
