“No, not at all.”
“Good,” Richard said as he held her even closer.
“So, tell me a bit about some of your exotic travels,” Angela said.
“Wow, that is random,” Richard joked.
“That’s me. Random ideas pop into my head quite often,” Angela replied.
“Well, good. That’s the sort of thing I need to keep me on my toes,” Richard said as he let out a long sigh trying to gather his thoughts. “I’d say the most interesting trip I ever took was to Costa Rica.”
“Oh, I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“It’s beautiful—lush jungles and plant life, interesting people, and amazing food. But it’s so beautiful that it can also be deadly.”
“How so?”
“Well, when I went there about eight years ago, I went with a friend of mine who’s a bit of an adventurist. He loves to go to exotic locales and live off the land, hike through all sorts of crazy landscapes. So six of us decided to go on a three-day hike through the jungle. We came face-to-face with a panther at one point and I was actually almost bitten by a fer-de-lance—one of the most venomous snakes in the world.”
“Oh my God! I would have died. I can’t stand snakes.”
“Snakes are nothing to fear as long as you show them a healthy respect. They’re actually beautiful creatures who serve a vital function in the world.”
“Hmm, I guess I never thought of it that way, but just thinking of them gives me the creeps.”
“That’s just because you know that a small percentage of them are venomous, but most are not. There’s something about a snake that’s very primal. I take it you’ve never held a snake in your hand?”
“Oh, no. The few snakes I’ve seen have sent me running away in terror,” Angela replied nervously. She was uncomfortable just thinking about the snakes, and she hated that he could probably hear the nerves in her voice. He probably thought she was some lame girly girl while he was some swashbuckling adventurer. Stay cool, Ange. Just stay cool.
“Well, it’s amazing. To hold a big, long snake in your hand and feel it moving and sliding in and out of your fingers. It’s a gift to be able to tame one of them. The secret is to let it move… loosely… don’t try to squeeze it… just let it move freely and feel its warmth bonding with your hand.”
Angela swallowed hard. She was suddenly not thinking about snakes… The way he was describing handling of the snake was putting disturbing thoughts in her head. She would have loved to grab his snake right then.
She could picture it now: a big, thick, throbbing tool in her hand, her fingers kneading it just right and getting it perfectly primed…
She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts, but Richard was still going. Beads of sweat were trickling down her forehead and she casually tried to wipe them away.
“You have to be careful with the head, that’s the dangerous part. But as long as you’re touching the snake just right, it won’t feel threatened and it won’t bite. You just have to respect it.”
“Right. So how did you come to almost get bitten?” Angela asked. She was thoroughly intrigued by the story; wondering how many different adventures Richard had been on and if she would ever have the opportunity to go through anything like that with him. As she thought this she realized that she was already seeing a future with him. Was this too soon to feel like that? She certainly didn’t want to reveal her cards and show her true feelings to him just yet. It was fun to keep a bit of mystery alive, especially this early in the game.
“Well, we were walking through a clearing down towards a lake and I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked down and I had to squint really hard to make it out. You would not believe the excellent camouflage this snake had; the way it just disappeared into the surroundings was incredible, but I saw it move slightly. It was about a foot long and very thick. Our guide told us to move away and told us what the snake was.”
“They didn’t kill it?”
“Of course not. It was just minding its own business and hoping that it didn’t have to waste its most valuable weapon on some person who was being careless. So we walked on the other side of the path and tried not to disturb it.”
“Wow, I would have screamed like a little girl,” Angela said.
“Oh, I doubt it. I have a feeling you are much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
Angela smiled and looked up at him. Her eyes were suddenly locked on his, captivated by his gaze. He was so looked stunning and the moment was perhaps the most romantic she had ever felt. It was as if they were all alone in the world right then.
Richard reached down and cupped her cheek with his left hand and pulled her face up slightly towards him. His lips were brushing against hers now, sweetly and so softly that it felt like just a warm breath brushing against her.
“Wow,” Angela said as their lips parted.
“I’ll second that,” Richard said rubbing her arms in an embrace.
Angela felt her whole body practically tingling; that had never happened to her before from one kiss. She thought about all of the times she had dreamed of doing that. It blew her expectations away. Most things that one fantasizes about never quite live up to the fantasy if you are able to actually do it for real, but Angela didn’t feel that way about what had just happened. It was ten times better than she ever thought it could be. There was more than a physical feeling behind the kiss; tt was tough to describe, but there was a need there. There was a strong urge to repeat the act over and over again. It was more than a desire; it was as strong and primal as the urge to eat any food put in front of you if you were lost in the desert for three days.
Richard held her face close to his gingerly, enjoying the warmth and the embrace. His face was rugged, even more so than it looked. Angela did not expect the stubble to be so thick and coarse since Richard was always very clean shaven. She found the rough texture somehow appealing. It was animalistic and primal, masculine and sexy.
Richard’s hand was suddenly on her stomach. Her shirt had somehow come untucked and a small piece of her skin was showing. His hand on an intimate part of her body sent her lust into overload and she was unable to resist as he kissed her once again, this time his tongue was intense and rigid, pushing deep inside of her and wrestling against her own.
Her whole body felt on fire as Richard’s hand began to move slowly up her shirt. He was getting closer to her chest. She wanted it so badly. To hell with her ideals; twenty-two years was long enough. It was time for her to experience the love and the lust that she had denied herself all this time.
And he was there. His strong hand was now cupping her chest, and pushing one of her bra cups up and over the breast. She wanted to stop him, she knew she should be stopping him, but it was too sweet. She had to let it happen.
The wetness between her legs was flowing like it never had before and she was sure that she was about to soak through her panties. Oh, she wished his hand was there. She wanted him to explore that area and to show her everything in the world that she was missing.
“No… I can’t,” Angela heard herself saying, barely above a whisper.
Richard didn’t seem to notice as he was reaching behind now to unhook the bra. The hansom cab was private and there was no way the driver could see them, but it was still just a small barrier that separated them. What if he could hear? What if he just peeked his head around and saw what they were doing?
It would have been so much fun. Angela was surprised by the thought. She had never known that she had so much unbridled lust and naughty, exhibitionist tendencies inside of her. She had to stop this, though. This wasn’t her and she was going to be ashamed and embarrassed of herself if she let this continue.
But it would have been so much fun. It would have been the most amazing thing she had ever experienced; she knew this, but the had to stop it.
Richard’s lips were now on her neck, kissing her softly. Oh, the sweet, wet, cool lips pulling up a tiny p
iece of skin just long enough to give it a kiss and a suck in one sweet motion. Not enough for a hickey; just enough to be perfect. Oh, Richard knew just how to touch her. He knew how to feed her desires and her fantasies until she was powerless to stop them.
Richard’s finger snapped through the bra strap as the last hook came undone. He smiled then, his eyes wild with desire. He reached up and pulled the bra off through the shirt, his hand slipping down to grab the bare chest, cupping and cradling it.
His hand felt so good, warm against her cool skin as he massaged her chest with ease. As he continued to kiss her neck and inch his way down to her collarbone she was suddenly aware that the fingers of his other hand were now moving up her thigh.
He was now touching her crotch, through the wet panties. Angela felt her breath stop in her chest as she gasped and waited for what was coming next. Was she going to let it happen? Was this going to happen right now?
Oh god oh god oh god oh god…
Richard’s thick finger moved the panties to the side and he was instantly touching the outside of her, feeling the first trickle of moistness. Her body stiffened as she realized he was about to enter her. His thick fingers began to push through.
“Here we are!”
The voice from up front suddenly broke through the beautiful romantic world they had just found themselves in.
Angela froze with panic. Was the driver getting down and coming back there? Oh God!
She quickly moved Richard’s hand away and pulled her shirt down. She grabbed her bra, which was now mostly in her lap and quickly stuffed it down her pants just a mere second before the driver opened the door and greeted them both with a friendly smile.
“Are we all done or do you want another round?” the driver asked.
Angela’s mind snapped back to reality. She looked down. Her bra was still on, her shirt was not disheveled and Richard was not feeling her up. She looked down at her skirt in a state of total panic still trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Her skirt was fine; it had not been touched. It was all a dream. Just an erotic, wet, crazy dream.
Richard looked at her unaware of the vivid fantasy she had just had.
“Want another round?” Richard asked.
“No, I have to go,” Angela said abruptly.
She tried not to jump out of the cab, but she was out of there much faster than she anticipated, almost twisting her ankle on the step. Her first instinct was to run away, but she caught herself realizing how rude that would have been.
A replay of the past few minutes kept rolling through her head in a loop. What had she almost done? If the driver had not stopped right then, what would have happened? Angela knew the answer to that question and it terrified her deeply. She would have gone all the way. She was not in any position to stop. She had never come close to experiencing passion or pure animal lust on that level in her life. It was like something you would see in those late movies on Cinemax that you had to laugh at because no one enjoyed sex that much.
Relax, it was just a dream. It wasn’t real.
But she had just been there. She could still feel the moistness between her legs—it was almost dripping. She wanted to pick up where they left off and continue so badly. An image of Richard taking her behind the tree she was passing right then flashed in her mind. She could just drop her panties and lift up her skirt to allow him easy access and let him do whatever he wanted to her. She would just lie there and enjoy the pure ecstasy.
What the hell was wrong with her? She had never felt this obsessed with sex before. But she realized it wasn’t sex; it was Richard. She was becoming almost obsessed with her desire to be with him. He probably thought she was insane the way she had just bolted out of that beautiful hansom cab.
Richard looked at her as he finished paying the driver in what looked like a wad of hundreds. He was apparently a generous tipper. He jogged towards her with a sweet smile on his face. The smile was easygoing and natural, which put her at ease. Maybe he didn’t think she was crazy. Maybe he still wanted to see her again.
But how far would they go next time? That was an exciting, but worrisome thought. How far…
“Are you okay?” Richard asked. “My stories aren’t that boring are they?”
Angela smiled as naturally as she could. “Oh, no. I was really enjoying hearing about it all. I just have an early day tomorrow, but we can still talk while you walk me back to my car? So, you saw some panthers you were saying?” Angela asked with a laugh.
Richard chuckled as well at her lame attempt to keep sexual tension at bay.
“Yes, we did. One night when we were camping I awoke to a low growling noise not far from my camp. The guide was also instantly awakened. I wasn’t really frightened until I realized he was. I didn’t seriously think that a panther would attack a group of us sitting around a large fire, but apparently the guide said it does happen. He grabbed the rifle just in case and began to make a lot of noise. Soon the rest of us were up and making the same noise. The panther had been close because I could see it moving from the glow of the fire in the dark; it was pretty miraculous actually.”
“I would have been terrified,” Angela said.
“I was,” Richard replied with a laugh.
“Wow, I’m surprised to hear a big, strong man like yourself not afraid to admit that he was afraid once.”
“Why not? I’m way past the age of being macho, Angela. Everyone feels fear; it’s a routine, primal emotion. But most people just don’t know how to deal with it and use it for the fuel to achieve the right outcome. That’s one thing I’ve learned in all my years.”
“That is incredibly insightful. I never really looked at it that way.”
“Most people don’t, which is what keeps them timid and keeps them from achieving what they want. You have to use the fear as a catalyst for change. You have to assign a new meaning to that feeling. It’s a negative feeling if you focus on the fact that it’s uncomfortable. It’s really a great feeling because true change comes from discomfort and the desire to avoid more discomfort. Most people just back away from the situation and fail to grow; you have to take it by the horns and charge forward.”
Angela looked at him trying to decide if he was for real. He sounded a bit like a Tony Robbins seminar, but she knew that he really believed this and that he lived his life this way. He may have been one of the most courageous men she had ever met.
The rest of the walk back to her car was peppered with more sweet conversation, some light-hearted and some a bit deeper. She was finding out so much about this man who had intrigued her for so long when she thought he was just her best friend’s dad. There was a whole other world behind the making of Richard Kane that she had never dreamed possible and she was finding herself completely wrapped up in it all.
When they reached her car she thanked him for a wonderful afternoon.
“Well, the evening doesn’t have to end now. My apartment isn’t far from here. Would you like to join me for some drinks?” Richard asked.
Angela wanted to. Boy, did she want to. But she knew that she shouldn’t. She had the sinking feeling that she might be on the road to becoming just another conquest or someone that Richard would never allow himself to take seriously. Besides, after what had just happened she didn’t trust herself enough to put the brakes on if things started to get physical. The man was just so magnetic and she could feel herself falling for him.
But there were too many things that were still unknown. Could she fall in love with him? Yes, definitely. Could he feel the same about her? That was the question without a definite answer, and that was the reason she had to decline the offer.
“I’m sorry, but I do have an early day tomorrow. I really need to be getting home. I still have some work to do since I took some time off today for the photoshoot.”
Richard flinched for a second before smiling that warm smile of his. Angela could see the wheels of confusion turning in his mind. She knew that she was givin
g him all sorts of mixed signals and she really didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about her. Oh, if she could have just told him how she felt and what she was afraid of. She urged her mouth to move and to explain herself, but she couldn’t. She just stood there feeling silly while Richard tried to make sense of it all.
But his confusion was so brief that she almost wasn’t sure it existed. It was just a slight flinch and a small glint in the eye and then it was gone.
“I completely understand. I can’t wait to see those pictures. Please send me some copies when you get them.”
“I will,” Angela said.
Richard kissed her again sweetly and said goodnight.
Angela drove home with her head in the clouds. Was this really happening?
Chapter 5
Richard let the cue stick slide between his fingers hard and crash into the rack of balls propelling them to scatter all over the table. His eyes furiously watched as several of them began to sink into the side pockets and one in the corner. It was a good break and he was proud of it. Too bad he was playing a game by himself.
He sank more stripes than solids, so he played the stripes first. He had first picked up the game of pool when he was a teenager. His grandfather had a nice table in his basement and any time he could get a chance he was down there with the stereo blasting out great rock music and working on his billiards game. There was something very solitary about the game, even when you played it with people. You could play as teams, but even then it was really a man against man type of sport. When you had the stick in your hands it felt like it was you against the balls.
He had even played in a few tournaments when he was younger, but he had been completely shut out. That was a sobering fact as to how good he really thought he was. He had beaten all of his friends and family routinely, and as far as he could tell he was pretty good at the game. He had even become a force to be reckoned with in the pool halls in the local neighborhoods, but when he tried to go national it just fell apart. He barely made it past the qualifying rounds of the tournament before he was shut out. The way these guys played, as if they had all of the geometry of the game worked out in their heads and they knew exactly how to do it all scientifically, was a huge disadvantage to him.
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