by Lulu Pratt
But we were working on it and that made me happy. Mira seemed happy too, and I wanted her to stay that way. For the first time in my life, I had focused my thoughts on someone else’s happiness over my own. I wanted her to be comfortable, secure and ready to tackle understanding each other the way a married couple should. She was starting to get there, learning my reactions, and how I liked to communicate, and I was doing the same thing. We were meshing our personalities together like a normal couple would, and though there were moments of frustration, it was starting to become a heated discussion type situation rather than a full blowup where she ran off to the guest room and I left to hole up in a hotel somewhere else.
I liked waking up and seeing a smile on Mira’s face. That made it all worth it to me. We had some really cool dates, did a lot of eating and enjoyed just getting to know each other. There were a lot of conversations about the past, but I had to admit, none about the present or our possible future. Neither one of us had come to the point where we were ready to discuss our feelings for each other. It was a thorn in the side of every deep conversation we had, and always left an awkward silence between us. She didn’t want to push it, since the last time it ended in a full-out battle neither of us wanted to repeat, and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
The truth was, I wasn’t sure about my feelings, and even if I was ready to tell it to the world, I wasn’t sure what I would be screaming. It was obvious I cared about her, and I cared a lot, but I didn’t know if we should stay married, or if we should divorce. I wasn’t even sure what would happen next week, so making a decision for the rest of my life seemed really huge and almost impossible. We had only known each other a few months, and yes, we were married and it was great at times, but that didn’t mean I was ready to throw all our things into one basket and push forward into the great beyond. I wanted to believe she was in a similar place, which was part of her hesitation as well, but I really had no idea what she was thinking. Women had always been a mystery to me, and this one even more so.
That morning she had got me up, reminding me that I had a follow-up appointment with the doctor. This was hopefully going to be the last one for a while, and I was crossing my fingers that he would give me a clean bill of health. Mira had been planning to take me, but she had to see to her mom first. I told her it was fine and headed over to the appointment on my own, promising to meet them both for dinner when I was done to give them the good news. The doctor was in great spirits and by the time I was done with the appointment, so was I.
I headed over to the Italian restaurant we’d got used to going to and waved at Mira and her mom who were already seated and waiting for me. Mira was smiling, and it warmed my heart as I sat down next to her, leaning over and kissing her on the forehead. I ordered my drink and turned to the women.
“So,” Carolyn said. “How did it go? Is my guardian angel all good?”
“It would seem so,” I chuckled. “I got the go ahead from the doctor to do whatever I want to do. Except of course a high-fat diet, which is fine with me. How about you?”
“I am doing very well,” she smiled. “Not one hundred percent like you, but I’m older and this disease has taken a toll on my body. Still, they said that in another month I will likely get my clean bill of health as well. The new kidney is working right along with my other organs, just like it had been there all along. You, sir, kept a healthy body and I appreciate that very much.”
“If I’d known I would be giving you one, I might have done even better and stayed away from all the fried Twinkies and whiskey,” I laughed.
“Is that what you eat out there in Indiana?” she chuckled. “When I’m back on my feet, you’ll need to come over to the house to have a real good home-cooked meal.”
“Your daughter must have got her cooking skills from you then because she feeds me all the time,” I smiled. “But I would love to get it from the source.”
“Then I will put it on the books,” she replied, looking satisfied with my response.
We took out the menus and ordered our meals, laughing and talking about the most recent happenings in our lives. I knew that neither of us should have alcohol, so I ordered some fresh juices off the menu and asked for them to be put into wine glasses. When they arrived Mira and her mom were ready for my toast.
“To health, happiness, and a wonderful group of people to share it with,” I said, raising my glass.
“I second that,” Carolyn said. “And I will add an extra toast to my beautiful daughter, who has taken such loving care of both of us.”
“Agreed,” I nodded, looking over at Mira who had tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she chuckled, wiping her eyes with her napkin. “Apparently I’ve become a crier somewhere along the way. It just — I never imagined that we would get to this day. That we would find the cure for my mother, that you would have given up so much for us, and that we would be sitting here toasting to a long and healthy future. I was terrified for so long, just taking it moment by moment. I know I’ve told you a million times, Ryan, but I have to tell you again, thank you so much for everything that you have done for my mother and for me. You really are the guardian angel of the group. You gave my mother a future and for that I am eternally grateful. So, to add on to the toast, I toast to Ryan, the real superhero, the man who doesn’t need a mask or a cape.”
“Hear, hear,” Carolyn said.
I smiled at Mira and nodded, with no words to even try to follow that up with. I didn’t feel like a hero, I felt like a man who wanted to do the right thing. I was just a human who believed all people should treat each other the same way. I swallowed my juice and turned back to her, reaching down and taking her hand in mine.
“You don’t need to thank me,” I said. “I would hope that if my mother had been in that situation, that someone would have done the same thing for her. My feeling is that if my mom could have been cured, even if it relied on the kindness of strangers, she would still be here today. Humanity has a way of beating us down, but at the base root of all of us, is a kindness and concern to help others.”
“You are one of the few good ones left,” Carolyn smiled.
“Thank you, but I think as a whole there are a lot of good people out there. It’s just that the bad ones are the loudest,” I replied.
“Very true,” she smiled. “All I know is that I am so happy that this all happened and that we were put in the same place at the same time. I am thankful to you, and I hope that as time passes, you remain in excellent health.”
“You too,” I smiled.
We sat there at the table enjoying our dinner, with Mira quietly but happily sitting close to me. Every once in a while, as her mother told stories and talked about her life, I would glance over at her with a long strong stare. Her cheeks would go red and she would smirk a little, looking back down at her plate or taking a sip of her drink. I realized in that moment just how absolutely beautiful she really was. When dinner was over we took Carolyn back to her house, said our goodbyes and headed for home. Since Evelyn had provided a car for Mira to get her mom back and forth with, we sent the driver on and I drove us back to the house in the car.
“That was a really great dinner,” Mira said, happily. “It was really nice to see both of you back to high spirits. I haven’t seen my mom that full of energy since I was a kid. It’s strange, but so awesome at the same time.”
“She is a pretty extraordinary woman,” I said.
“What about you?” she laughed. “You aren’t too shabby either.”
“I can’t believe it has already been four and a half months since we got married,” I said, shaking my head. “It feels like just yesterday that nervous as hell, I pulled up that veil and pledged my hand to you.”
“I know, right?” she said. “Though there were moments when it seemed to go at a glacial pace.”
“Isn’t that all marriages?” I chuckled.
“Yeah, I suppose so, though I really wouldn’t know,” she replied.<
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“I got some other good news at the doctor today,” I said, staring out as I drove along.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I can resume sex, finally,” I replied.
“Now I like the sound of that,” she giggled.
Chapter 26
MIRA
THE ENTIRE DAY had been a little more than overwhelming. My mother was ahead of schedule on her recovery, and Ryan had been given a clean bill of health. We had been married for four and a half months, and dinner went better than I expected. It was like everything was falling into place, finally. It only took several fights, an almost divorce, a fight with a friend, and a kidney transplant to get there, but I was there, and I wasn’t going to complain about it or jinx myself. On the way home in the car I was a little taken aback by it all, but I was also happy to be with Ryan.
After his announcement that he could resume having sex he reached over and took my hand, squeezing it tightly and gazed at me with that look that was so unmistakable. Immediately, heat flashed through my entire body and I wanted him right then and there. I cleared my throat and wiggled in my seat, feeling the flood of juices between my legs. It had been six weeks since we had even touched each other besides a friendly kiss or snuggle. We’d been too afraid to fool around and take a chance on getting him hurt and delaying his full recovery.
He sped up in the car and reached the house in record time. Jumping out of the car, he came to my side, opening the door and lifting me into his arms. I giggled, leaving my purse behind, and wanting nothing more than him. He cradled me as he walked to the front door and I reached down, swinging it open. He kicked it closed behind him and went directly up the stairs to our bedroom, stepping inside and setting me carefully down on my feet. He walked forward, his eyes darkened, reaching out for my jacket and peeling it back off my shoulders.
Normally our sex was hot and needy, with hands flying and limbs up in the air. But this time was different, this time he had patience and care. He lifted up my top and pulled it over my head, drawing me forward and kissing down my neck. His fingers fiddled with my bra, finally getting it undone and carefully removing it from my body. I breathed deeply, already feeling the ecstasy between us raging. He unbuttoned my pants and held my hand as I stepped out of them, looking back up into his eyes.
His big strong arms rolled around me, pulling me in close as he dipped down and kissed me passionately, taking my breath away. He leaned me back until my body hit the bed and then pulled himself over me, kissing my breasts, rubbing his hands up my sides. I reached up and pulled at the buttons on his shirt, watching as he pulled it back over his shoulders, revealing that big strong chest I’d missed so much. He pulled his pants off and moved to the end of the bed in nothing but his black boxer briefs. His cock was solid, and I reached up, carefully running my hand right above the band of his underwear. I sat up as he turned, pressing my lips against the healing incision on his right side, right below his ribs.
When I laid back he moved between my legs, pushing my panties to the side. He slid his middle finger through my folds, rubbing down from my clit and then pushing inside me. I gasped, throwing my head back, feeling him rolling his finger around as he pulled back out. He pushed in again, this time with more force, sliding it slowly back to the tip of his finger. When he went in again he added a finger, forcing a moan from deep down in my chest. He reached his other hand up and began to rub my clit, my juices running down his hand. I reached out and gripped the edge of the bed, screaming out in pleasure as he moved faster and faster inside me.
I looked up at him, meeting his eyes, seeing the pure lust on his face. I gripped onto the comforter and thrust my chest into the air as the heat inside me exploded. He fell to his stomach and rubbed his mouth around through my exploding wetness, pushing the orgasm to a new height. My body rocked under his hot wet mouth until the shaking finally stopped. He picked himself back up to his knees and wiped his chin, smiling down at me. I pulled my panties off and tossed them to the side as he did the same with his boxers.
He crawled across the bed over the top of me and lifted one leg to his side, dipping his hips down and pushing into me. I groaned, feeling the power of his cock deep down inside me. I reached my hands up and dug my fingernails into his shoulders, whimpering in ecstasy as his hips pumped faster and faster. His arms flexed beside me as he waved his body like a snake, rubbing up against my clit, pushing me closer to another climax. I looked up, catching his gaze, butterflies fluttering in my chest as he gritted his teeth and leaned forward, caressing my lips with his. I moaned softly into his mouth, feeling the goosebumps run across his shoulders.
Instantly his hips moved faster, as if feeling the trembling of my voice kicked him into overdrive. He growled, pushing deep inside me and pausing, hanging his head as he controlled his own desires. He turned and kissed me again, this time with a level of ardor I’d never felt from him. He lowered himself further down on me, rubbing his hands through my hair as his tongue teased my lips. Bit by bit, moment by moment his hands slid down my side and pushed beneath me. He untangled his legs from mine and turned, rolling over on his back and pulling me with him.
I straddled him and sat up, pressing my hands to his smooth chest. I flipped my head back, slinging my hair over, feeling it tickle my shoulders. He growled, licking his lips as his hand grabbed onto my waist and began to move me. I groaned, throwing my head back, pressing down against him, grinding my body against his. My clit rubbed hard against his skin, building the heat inside me. I pushed up and then sat back down, sliding his cock deep inside. His hands gripped tighter to me as I shifted, swaying my body like the wind, moving in circles against him. I could barely control the ecstasy flowing through my body, so I closed my eyes and let it take me, feeling every rub, every twitch and every pleasure that his body could bring to mine.
I could feel my climax coming and coming hard, so I grabbed his hands and put them on my tits, feeling his hands grasping me. I began to bounce up and down on his cock, calling out, screaming really — just waiting for the explosion to take me. As I came back down onto his body and swished my hips around, it hit, waves of delectation taking hold, moans and laughter escaping my lips. I didn’t hold back, I didn’t stop, I just continued to grind until every last ounce of enjoyment had dissipated into my stomach.
Breathing hard, I looked down at him and smiled, shaking my head in delight. I wanted more, I didn’t want him to be done with me at all, and to my satisfaction, he wasn’t. He lifted my body off him and set me down on the bed, sitting up and kissing my lips.
“Lay on your side, but face me, I want to see your face,” he whispered.
I nodded, laying down on my side and draping my top leg over his hip. He scooted closer to me, lifting my leg over his waist and he grabbed his shaft, rubbing it over my still pulsating clit. I shivered from the feeling, spreading my legs wider, welcoming him into my soft silken pussy. He pushed in slowly and pulled on my hips, diving as far in as he could. I gasped, laying my head down on the pillow, biting my bottom lip, and watching his dedication and concentration as he fucked me gently, but with need.
He leaned forward and kissed me, his hips still pumping, my heel pushing on his back every time he pulled away. His breathing increased until the moment he could no longer move his lips against mine. He just fucked me, fast and soft, groaning into my hungry mouth, feeling every inch of me. I could tell he was getting close, and I couldn’t wait to feel the pleasure of his explosion.
Suddenly he paused and pulled out, turning me onto my back. He sat up on his knees and laid my ankles over his shoulder, grabbing his shaft and quickly pushing back into me. He started to thrust, this time deep and hard, pushing into me fast. I could feel his restraint, his body holding back, and I smoothed my hands up his chest.
“Look at me,” I groaned, catching his stare. “Let go, just let it go. I want to feel you come.”
“Yeah?” he said breathlessly, pumping his hips even faster. “You want to feel
me?”
“Yes,” I screamed out, his body slapping hard against my clit.
We both screamed and groaned in harmony, our bodies rallying against each other, pushing for release. As he thrust against me one last time, he leaned forward, grabbing my waist and picking my ass up in the air. He groaned, pushing hard, barely moving his hips, his body pulsing. Gritting my teeth, I tossed my head back, rolling my eyes as another wave of pleasure pushed through me. Our bodies shook, and my pussy wrapped tightly around his cock as he released his hot seed inside me. He groaned, his eyes closed, his mouth hanging open. His fingers dug into my flesh and didn’t release until the both of us collapsed in exhaustion into the bed.
I pulled myself up to his side and leaned my head against his arm, breathing heavily. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and his beating against his. I laughed, shaking my head, trying to settle myself.
“Wow,” I said, turning to him, rubbing his chest with my hand. “That was the best ever.”
“It was probably the best I’ll ever have,” he laughed through his panting. “That was amazing.”
He turned to me and leaned in, kissing my lips gently, then pulling back, letting his head fall to the pillow. I pulled the sheets up over us and laid my head on his shoulder, staring at the way his hair began to curl as it reached his neck. I pressed my lips against his hot skin and smiled, enjoying every minute of my time with him.
