by MV Ellis
“This is it.”
“This is what?” I was more out of breath than I would have liked to be.
I made a mental note to get back into my gym routine. Which was a joke, because I’d scarcely been for a year. I still kept up my membership though, as though giving my credit card a workout to pay the fee counted toward my weekly exercise quota.
“Part two of the date.”
“Okaaaaay.”
He spread out the blanket and placed the basket and burgers on it. Crouching down, he opened the basket and brought out some objects I couldn’t quite see. Maybe I had been right in the first place and he was assembling his dismemberment kit. He’d already told me that nobody would come looking out here, so it was the perfect spot for a little light homicide.
After fiddling around for a few moments, the area was bathed in golden light. Chris had brought a chain of fairy lights and some LED candles and was placing them around the edges of the blanket.
“There. Now look,” he said.
“Where?”
“There.” He pointed behind me, and I spun to follow his finger.
“Holy shit!”
“Yeah. And now you see why we’re here.”
That was a huge understatement. The view cleared the adjacent buildings, because of our height, which meant we could look back out to the GWB and the twinkling lights of the city behind it. As ever, I was struck by the beauty of the city when viewed from a distance.
When the daily rat race ground me down, it was often hard to sit back and remind myself how much beauty there was right on my doorstep. I needed to be in the correct mindset to stop and smell the roses, and often I just wasn’t. There was so much ugliness in my life that it was a challenge to see past it most of the time.
“Lie back and look up.”
I did as he told me.
“Oh my God. So many stars. Wow. I don’t even notice them when I’m in the city. It’s crazy.” I rolled over onto my side to face Chris, and he followed suit. “So, did you bring me out into the middle of nowhere just for the spectacular view, or did you have something else in mind?”
“Well, see… I did want to give you a special first date, and this is one of the most perfect spots I know of, so I was keen to share that with you. But while we knocked off a few bases at the drive-in, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t into ticking off more out here. It’s a warm night, and we have the place to ourselves. It would be a shame not to.”
“I agree.”
“You do?”
I grinned. “Sure. Why not? Like you said, opportunities like this don’t come along every day, and I’ve let way too many pass me by for way too long. I need to grab life by the… um… lapels, and live it before it’s too late. Like you said before, in the grand scheme of things, our time is short. And the fact is, we never even know how short, but once it’s done, we don’t get a do-over.”
I reached out and stroked his cheek, loving the feel of the light spatter of growth there grazing my palm. “I like this.”
“What, the stubble?” He reached up and stroked from his cheeks to his chin, making a V between his thumb and fingers. I had no idea why, but the sight fired my libido into overdrive.
“Do that again,” I urged.
“Stroke my face?”
“Yeah, that.”
He did and I was instantly wet.
“You like that?” He repeated the movement over and over, and I just about lost my shit, imagining the feel of that same stubble rubbing over my clit.
Grateful that I’d chosen to wear a dress, I hitched it up and slid my fingers inside my panties, then inside myself. I was wetter than I’d been in a long time, and we hadn’t even gotten started. I moved my fingers in and out, eyes focused on Chris’s hand as he stroked his face.
“Do you need help with that?” He jerked his head toward my hand under my dress.
“No, I’ve got it. But why don’t you join me?” It took him a few moments to catch my train of thought, but then he reached for his fly, yanking down his zipper and freeing himself from his underwear. I shifted my gaze from his stubble to his dick. He was clearly as primed and ready to go as I was, groaning as he began pumping himself. Still on our sides, his dick pointed toward me in a clear statement of intent.
“I love this, but I don’t want to come this way. I’ve been thinking about being inside you all night.”
“I want that too, I just wanted to get things going, you know?” I met his eyes for the first time in a little while, and the look of adoration on his face stunned me.
“Yeah. I get it, and I’m down for whatever you want, however you want it.”
The truth was, he probably didn’t get it. Even though I was already deliciously turned on, I was relishing the foreplay, because it wasn’t a thing with Tommy most of the time. He was more of a ‘wham, bam’ kind of a guy, the quicker the better. There had been no romance, no anticipation, no delicious torture like the two of us were feeling right now, and most of the time I’d was fine with that—I’d wanted it over and done with as quickly as humanly possible. Now that wasn’t the case, I wanted to savor the buildup.
I was tempted to close my eyes or turn away; the look on Chris’s face alone was almost enough to send me spiraling out of control. A wave of sadness washed over me while I dwelt on the fact that I’d repeatedly and mostly willingly, or at least resignedly, had sex with a man who more often than not looked enraged the entire time. Tommy’s climaxes hadn’t seemed like a pleasure, even for him. They were short and angry, and they’d left him, and me, largely unmoved.
“Hey, you okay?” Chris’s soft voice punctuated my thoughts, bringing me back to the here and now. I was finding it hard to adjust to the fact that he was always so in tune with what I was feeling, and he actually gave a fuck.
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Sure?”
“Yep. Just concentrating on trying not to come yet.” Despite my wayward thoughts, I was close to the point of no return, so I withdrew my hand. Chris reached out and pulled my fingers to his lips, staring into my eyes as he sucked the two that had been inside me, slowly moving them in and out of his mouth.
“You taste so good, I could almost stop now and be happy. Almost.” He spoke around my fingers, sucking them dry.
“No way. I’m too far gone for that.” I pulled my fingers from his mouth with a satisfying pop before sitting up and yanking my dress over my head. It was a simple black button through, but I knew it hugged me in all the right places. I snapped the front clasp of my bra open, noting Chris’s sharp intake of breath.
“As beautiful as it is up here, that view is nothing compared to the one I have right now. I could look at you forever.”
“The feeling is mutual, so….” I looked down at him until he sat up to join me, pulling off his black T-shirt in one swift move.
Now it was my turn to gasp. I’d seen him naked before, but the memories I’d been getting myself off to ever since didn’t measure up to the sculpted reality. The sight of his V line and the happy trail leading down to his cock would have been enough to send me over the edge if I wasn’t trying so hard to hold back.
We were facing each other, on our knees, but I had other ideas. I reached out and gently pushed his rock-hard chest.
“I want to ride you.” It felt strange just asking for what I wanted with a guy who I knew would give me whatever he had it in his power to give.
He lay down and quickly got rid of his black jeans, boxer briefs, and socks before propping himself up on one elbow and cocking his eyebrow at me in challenge.
“Condom?” I leveled my challenge right back at him.
“Yeah. Shit. In the picnic basket.”
“Really?”
“Well, better to be safe… right?”
For sure. More babies were nowhere in my life plans for the foreseeable future, if ever again.
As I was nearest, I reached into the basket and grabbed the packet, pulling one out.
“Care
to do the honors?” He glanced at his raging hard-on.
“Why, yes.” I opened the foil packet and had him sheathed in no time, then straddled him and rose up on my knees so his dick was in line with my entrance, savoring the moment of calm before the storm. I fondled my tits, squeezing and then licking each nipple in turn.
“Fuck!” Chris’s body bucked beneath me, but I held off a little longer, both because I was relishing working my breasts over, and because I was enjoying the power and control I had, something that had been lacking in my sex life—if it could even be called that—for longer than I cared to admit.
Chris reached around me, pumping his cock and then stopping intermittently to hold himself back. When we were both on the verge of losing our minds, I rose up, lining up the tip of his dick before lowering myself slowly onto it. Even though I was on top, because of the depth, the position took trust on my part, something I realized I’d never had in Tommy. I’d learned the hard way that he didn’t care enough about me not to hurt me if it brought him pleasure.
I pulled my mind back to the here and now, reminding myself that Chris wasn’t Tommy and, in the short time I’d known him, had proven himself more worthy of my trust than Tommy ever had. I shook my head as though I could somehow dislodge the unwanted thoughts and tried to concentrate on the pleasure sweeping my body.
The whole thing was a uniquely physical experience, awakening senses which had lain dormant for so many years that I barely recalled what they felt like. Being out in nature was new for me—the feel of the gentle breeze caressing my skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. The faint smell of cut grass as it mingled with Chris’s subtle, fresh aftershave was one I would never forget. Even the sound was unique. Closer to home, it was rare to be outside and hear nothing except silence.
It was also darker than it ever was in the heart of the city, but the lights Chris had brought gave the area around us a beautiful flickering glow, just enough to see each other in soft focus. Then there was the expanse of deepest indigo sky, illuminated by millions of twinkling stars and the residual glow of the distant city lights.
Last but not least, Chris was a sight for sore eyes. His hair flopped back from his face, giving me an unobstructed view of his perfect features. His silver-gray eyes twinkled in the dim light, and when he stared into mine, for once I didn’t want to look away. I wanted to be in the moment with him. Wanted to share it with him. Wanted to know it meant as much to him as it did to me.
33
Spider
As I lay back with Emi riding me, her thick wavy hair framing her face, the backdrop of the dark, inky blue sky and the stars forming a halo around her, I imagined it was what heaven looked like.
If I’d have died at that moment, looking up at the most incredible woman I’d ever met as she stared into my eyes and rode me toward what I knew would be the orgasm to end all orgasms, I’d have gone out knowing I was a luckier man than most. Just the fact that she was holding my gaze without looking away had me on the verge of coming.
I lifted her hands from my chest and interlinked our fingers. Emi got my intention right away and leaned forward, pressing more weight onto my palms, using the leverage to lift herself higher and then push down harder onto my dick. I lifted my hips each time she lowered onto me, pulling them back as she lifted up, leaving just the tip of my dick inside her and then going extra deep. She leaned on my hands more, riding me harder, and for a moment, I swore I had died.
As Emi started to clench around me, I pushed into her harder and faster, chasing my release. I found it quickly, and we came together hard and long, still maintaining eye contact. I knew it had meant as much to her as it had to me, but what I didn’t know was where that left us.
Emi was complicated. Women were complicated, period, but Emi seemed more so than most. Not surprising given her history. I was simple but in a complicated place with everything that had happened over the past few weeks, and I wasn’t sure how to move forward. The fact was, I was in unchartered waters and definitely out of my depth.
As the final aftershocks of our orgasms rippled through our bodies, I tugged gently on Emi’s hands, coaxing her forward and down to rest her head against my chest, then slid my arms around her, hugging her to me. I loved the way our bodies meshed together that way, so close that I could feel a heartbeat against my ribcage, though I wasn’t sure if it was hers or mine.
“Thank you.” Her voice was a small, hoarse whisper. “For saving me.”
“I can’t take credit for that. Kota was the ninja. While I was thinking about what to do, she was doing it.”
“I’m not talking about that day. I’m talking about now. Last week. The week before that.”
“I don’t think I—”
“Before I ran into you at the bar, I was navigating the world in some kind of weird trance. I was there but not there. Right after the incident with Tommy, I went back to work, business as usual after a week, as though nothing had ever happened. I knew some of my colleagues must have known—it had been headline news—but apart from discussing it with management, whom I told I didn’t want to talk about it with anyone else, it has never been mentioned. Like I said before, not even with Stacey, and she and I are close.”
“So who did you speak to about it? Girlfriends? A therapist, a support group?”
“Nobody. I mean, the police to give my statements, but other than that, I haven’t said a word to anybody except you.”
“Not even Noah?”
“Well, I had to tell him something, given that we had all lived together, so Tommy’s absence was obvious. I didn’t want to outright lie, so I told him Tommy did something bad, so he’s gone to jail, and will probably be there for a long time. He hasn’t asked what he did, but I’m expecting more questions at some point. Not that I’m ready, but I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
“Hmm….” I kissed her hair, inhaling the smell of her shampoo as it mingled with the unique scent of her skin. I wanted to bottle the combination. My dick throbbed its agreement. “I don’t think I’ve done anything to earn your thanks—”
“You have. Apart from shielding me from Tommy, you didn’t give up on me. That Friday night at the bar, you made sure I was okay. Then when I called you, you agreed to meet me even after I treated you so badly.”
“Stop. Remember what I said before about it’s how we treat each other when shit goes down that matters? Don’t you think we’re even Stephen? Despite only knowing me a hot minute, you’ve been there for me since my dad died. I couldn’t have gotten through these past few weeks without you—”
“Yes, you could. You’ve got amazing friends and family who adore you and would do anything for you.”
“That’s true. And they’ve been every bit as awesome as I knew I could count on them being, but the person I wanted talk to and be with throughout all of this was you. When I couldn’t sleep at night, or I was feeling low during the day, it was always thinking of you that pulled me back so I could carry on breathing in and out. It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, dealing with my own grief and supporting Mom and Benji in theirs, and I wouldn’t still be upright and functioning if you hadn’t been there every step of the way. And weren’t still here now, even after I was a total asshole to you at the wake.”
“How are they? Your mom and Ben, I mean.”
“Mom has good days and bad days. I think sometimes she forgets that he’s not coming back. She’ll be pottering through her day, thinking he’s out for a ride and will walk through the door any minute. Then she remembers he’s gone for good, and it’s like she starts the grieving process all over again. It’s heartbreaking to watch. It feels like she’s going one step forward, two steps backward.”
“I can relate. I feel like the itsy-bitsy spider myself. Every time I make it to the top of the spout, some kind of drama or setback rains down on me, and I’m right back in the drain again. What about Ben?”
“He’ll be okay, I think. He’s back home
now. I’m guessing the reality of what Dad being gone actually means will sink in over the next few weeks and months, but in the meantime, he’s living his best life as usual. Zara thinks the sun shines out of his butt, everyone at the assisted living place thinks he’s the best thing on two legs, and he’s killing his job,” I smiled.
“You know, I used to wonder what he would’ve been like if he didn’t have Down syndrome, and kind of feel sorry that he missed out on whatever that life would’ve been. But I stopped thinking that way years ago. Firstly, he’s not missing out on shit, and second, he probably would’ve been an asshole. You know, one of those guys—too popular, too good-looking, super sporty, great with women—”
“But you’re all of those things, and you’re not an asshole.”
“Ha! If you say so.”
“What part do you disagree with?”
“It’s not that I disagree. It’s just that I never thought about it that way, I guess.”
“Well, you should. The great guy gene is strong in your family—you, your dad, Benji, you all have it.”
“You know, flattery will get you everywhere, right?”
She smirked. “Oh? I thought I’d already been everywhere. What else do I get?”
I could hear the smile in her voice as she ground herself against my dick, and for a moment, my mind went blank. All I could think about was being inside her again.
“I think you have a pretty good idea of what’s on offer here.” I tilted my hips, rotating them to meet her grind for grind. “But I think we should head back to the car. It’s gonna start cooling down out here soon, plus we never ate our burgers. I’m still starving!”
“Oh shit! Now that you mention it, so am I. I feel bad too, such a waste of food.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s terrible. Not my usual MO, by the way.”
“Mine either.”
“I even brought a bottle of champagne for us to wash it all down with, but I don’t think we should drink it now on empty stomachs and all.”
“Yeah, not a good idea in my case. You’d have to carry me home!” She giggled.
