by Love Belvin
At the mammoth island, we ate and were successful at avoiding the neon pink elephant in the room. Not only did I wake up sore, I also fought with guilt. What I did was a bit sneaky. I didn’t regret making love to Stent at all, just the way that I’d gone about it.
“So, what’s on the agenda today?” I asked.
“If we’re not playing any more games, I do have some action flicks I’d like to catch up on.”
“Are they gruesome?”
“No.” He shook his head as he took a sip of his juice. “But considering what you watched the first night we got here, you should be able to more than stomach the movies I have in mind.”
“Okay, then I can pick the next activity.”
Stenton rolled his eyes, adorably. “What would that be?” He feigned annoyance.
“Teaching you how to cook.”
He paused his chewing and gave me a blank stare. “Cook?” he mumbled with a mouthful. “For what?”
“Because we should all at least know how to fry an egg…successfully.”
“I don’t need to learn how to cook, just work to pay someone else to do it for me,” he garbled before swallowing his food.
I shook my head. “You need to know how to cook to fend for yourself in the event you’re without a cook, like now.”
“But you’re here and you can cook.”
“What if it wasn’t me? What if I couldn’t cook?” I challenged.
He held his glass to his mouth as he replied, “Zo, no other female alive could get me to drop everything and come up here on the fly. So I knew like hell you could cook or else we’d starve.”
“But you assumed I could cook. You shouldn’t do that, Stent. I don’t mind cooking. I love it actually, but everyone should know how to cook. You could find yourself stranded with another woman who can’t cook. Just look at it as an added skill.” I shrugged again and turned my attention to my plate. “Some girls like men who cook.”
From my peripheral I could see Stent frozen on his stool. I don’t know why I had to mention him being with another woman. He was with me and that’s all that should have mattered. Then why was I going the jealous route? I’m never jealous.
Does sex do this to women?
No! I will not be that woman.
“Okay,” I heard him murmur. I braved a glance up at him. “You can teach me how to cook.”
The doorbell rang, stealing our attention. Stent grunted and mumbled some expletive-filled phrase before standing to get the door. I was left wondering if learning how to cook for women was his motivation for consenting.
Silly girl!
I heard mumbling outside of the massive kitchen. Then clear words grew louder just before Alton turned the corner and entered. He was wearing a black goose, sweats and Timberland boots.
“Noooooooooooooo!” he sang, almost in a tormented fashion. My brows knitted. Alton’s upper body slammed down into his legs, bringing his athleticism to life, as he continued crying out the word.
He was not the only person surprised. No one knew Stenton and I were friends. It was our secret. In my deluded mind, I was still afraid of Angela finding out and feeling betrayed. So what she’d slept with Alton enough to forget her strong attraction to Stenton. This wasn’t good for me…at all.
Alton continued with his melodramatic antics, throwing himself into the wall next to him. Falling into the counter, holding his chest. “I can’t believe this shit! Why ain’t nobody tell me?” He turned to Stenton and cried, “Are you serious, Stent? I thought we were bro-besties, man!” Then his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. “Fucking Angela lied again! Zo ain’t no damn virgin, I see!”
I gasped at not only his brashness, but his knowledge of my virginity. Stenton’s neck collapsed and he covered his face with his hand. I was mortified.
“Did she tell you that?” I asked, aghast.
“Yeah, but I kinda believed her. You do come across a little Virgin Mary-ish, Zo. I mean, church girls lose their virginities before their asses are even baptized. Y’all are the best pieces of ass…all freaky and shit! Trust me, I know. Angela was my latest conquest.”
“Aye, man!” Stenton growled. “Don’t come over here with that bullshit.”
Almost at the same time, I grounded out, “The only ass I see here is you, Alton!” I got up to leave the room.
Stenton grabbed my arm at the same time Alton jumped to the entryway in an attempt to cut me off. Stenton protectively pulled me into him, my back to his broad chest.
Alton touched his chest, gesturing his heart. “Ah, Zo, man, you know it ain’t no disrespect! We all know you carry yourself with class. It’s just that Stent, my man right here, ain’t give me the heads up.” He lifted his hand to motion to Stent above me.
“I can’t believe she told you that!” I yelped, referring to Angela.
That little wench!
Stenton’s arms around my wrists clenched.
“Why not?” Alton grimaced. “Everybody knows ol’ Ally-boy is trustworthy. I can keep a fucking secret. At least that’s what I thought.” He threw a nasty glare at Stenton. If I wasn’t so livid I would have laughed.
“Look,” Stenton spoke up. “I don’t give a shit what you think you know or what you thought you knew, I just wanna make one damn thing clear: this doesn’t get back to Angela. What Zoey wants her or anyone else to know is up to Zoey. You big ass, loose-lip, don’t open your fucking trap.”
Alton’s forehead stretched as his chin angled towards the floor. “And am I the one who can tell Angela? I know she’s even a bigger liar than I knew her to be when she tried to throw a baby on moi.” He tented his hands in his chest, pointing to himself. “Ha!” he yelled. “Nisha will have my ass on a skewer! I’m still on punishment behind Angela’s lying ass.”
I lowered my head, shaking it. “Of course, Alton, you had no involvement in that debauchery,” I murmured loud enough for him to hear.
“I didn’t! She fuckin’ seduced me…each time!” I slightly jumped in Stent’s arms, turning to catch his reaction to Alton’s usage of the word seduced.
Is that what I did to him last night?
Apparently he caught my questioning glare. Stenton’s lips twitched up into a knowing smile.
“Y’all was there to witness that shit. I almost called y’all to the stand when Nisha was trying my ass.” Alton held out his arms, motioning for me to hug him.
Stent let my wrists go, encouraging this make up session Alton was attempting. I strolled over, hesitantly. I was still seething from Angela’s big slip of the mouth. How many others had she told?
“I know I’m an ass, Zo, man. I can’t help it,” Alton’s voice was with less bravado. I was falling for his white flag, hard. “You are good peoples to me. I ain’t mean no disrespect,” his voice cooed as his arms wrapped around me. “Damn, you smell good as hell. Mmmmm!”
I jumped from his fold.
“I’m just kidding, Zo. Damn!” He laughed as he held his arms out defensively. “Just kidding. You got this dude over here ready to pounce on my ass like a fucking cheetah, man,” he jeered as he walked out of the kitchen. “I’m going running downstairs then I’m watching T.V. Holla atcha’ boy, StentRo!” Alton called over his shoulder.
I turned to Stenton, not knowing what to say about his rowdy friend. He was pinching his nose trying to control his laughter.
“I can’t believe what the wind blew in,” I hissed.
“Yeah, and because I slipped up and told him I was in town last night while caught up, playing your fucking game, he’ll be here all damn day,” Stent informed with amusement in his voice.
I turned in the direction where Alton had just left. “He’s going to work out—”
“…here, shower here, and relax here. Yes,” he cut me off to clarify. “Thanks to his summer fling, Alton’s officially on time out at the order of Tynisha. They live next door in Upper Saddle River. This is his asylum.”
“Oh,” was all I could say, piecing together the crazy li
fe and relationship between Alton and Tynisha. This had to be a full time job for her, like raising another child. But I wondered why she would be okay with him hanging out at Stent’s place. It said a lot about her perception of Stenton.
I felt his warm lips on my forehead, reminding me he was still in the room. “I’m going to take a shower. We can watch a movie and then cook whenever you’re ready,” Stent murmured before leaving me there in the kitchen.
I went for my phone, prepared to text Angela and give her a piece of my mind. She knew better than to share that with a stranger. Not that my virginity was a big deal to me, but it was private. What if I told Stenton about all her sexcapades with men over the years?
I had all my words planned out, but when I picked up my phone I couldn’t do it. I knew Angela was in a bad place with the pregnancy and the last thing she needed was her past with Alton coming up at such a delicate time.
The day progressed. When Stenton was done with his shower, we made the marinade for the chicken we were going to prepare that night. It was cute watching his lanky figure in a massive kitchen, matching his size, but it being the most awkward room for him at the same time. We made a few snacks and took them to the theater room to watch movies with Alton. Alton offered me a beer and Stenton darn near bit his head off. I didn’t understand why, but like Alton, I respectfully sat back without questioning it. The doorbell rang again and Stenton jogged out of the room to get it, returning twenty minutes later to finish the movie.
A few hours later, Stenton uprooted from beneath me and left the room. Alton and I remained, watching Hostel. After some time, I missed him. Maybe because my temperature dropped and I didn’t have his body’s natural heat covering me, I’d become conscious of his absence. I don’t know how long it was before I saw him appear at the door. I caught him in my peripheral, and when I peered up, he gave a reverse nod, requesting that I join him. Without hesitation, I rose from the ginormous sofa and strode past Alton, whose eyes stayed glued to the screen.
When I approached Stenton, he took me by the hand and walked me through the house and to the master suite. I noticed immediately the door was closed, which struck me as odd.
We stopped at the doorframe and Stenton turned me at the shoulders to face him. “Zo, listen… Before we go inside, I need for you to consent to something and then make a promise to me.”
I nodded dubiously.
Stenton exhaled and rested his arm above his head, on the door, and buried his face in the crux of it. He eventually threw me a strange regard.
“That didn’t come out right. Let me say this. Last night was not how I wanted our first time to be.” Hearing that warmed me. I didn’t know Stenton had thoughts of being with me sexually. “It wasn’t my style at all. My sexual style can be a bit…eclectic.”
I nodded again, inviting him to continue.
“I want to share with you what I’m into, but I need you to give consent to it first, and then promise me you won’t run for the hills after.”
My pulse quickened. The jolt of excitement I felt was unparalleled. I’d always been said to be a daredevil, and in that moment I understood why. I would do anything with Stenton.
I nodded slightly, but executed, “Yeah…yeah!” more convincingly.
Stenton’s deep and piercing gaze vacillated between doubtful, then desperate, and then finally to convinced. He sighed heavily and went to his pocket and pulled out a strap of cloth. He turned me around to tie it over my eyes. It happened so quickly that I found myself panting.
“You said you trusted me, so I don’t want to hear doubt from here on out,” he informed throatily.
My mouth was too dry for me to speak, but I don’t think Stenton wanted me to. I then heard the unclicking of the door. Stenton took me by the hand and led me into his bedroom. We walked a bit before I felt the coolness of the marble floors underneath my feet making me aware of entering the bathroom. Next, Stenton removed my clothes. He then assisted me into the Jacuzzi where he washed me fully and gently. He didn’t speak, and though as unfamiliar with his touch as I was at the time, it felt hesitant. That bothered me.
“Stent.”
His roaming hand that was rinsing the soap from my back froze. “Yes.”
“I’m okay. I’m not afraid. I’m not unsure. I’m not concerned—curious as all get out…yes, but that’s all.”
I felt his cool breath hit my wet skin when he exhaled. There was a tentative pause before he asked me to stand and dried me off. Then I stood on the fluffy rug and endured the torment of him massaging a cream into my body, feeling him apply soft worshipful kisses in various places, especially my wrists and ankles. I had mixed feelings when he stopped.
Stenton took me by the hand and led me out into the bedroom. He stopped and rounded me, pulling his long arms around my waist and into his frame so snug that I felt his erection on my lower back. He buried his face into my neck and inhaled deeply, sending chills down my spine. My breathing spiked.
“Niña…” he murmured adoringly, almost desperately. “I’m going to uncover your eyes.” I could feel each syllable he spoke reverberating in my core. Stenton’s voice was low, gruff, heavy, and wanting. “Now, if you run like a bat out of hell, not only will you be naked in affluent Alpine, but your skin is still damp and your mom will tell you that condition doesn’t mix well with winter temperatures.”
With my mouth agape, I nodded, desperate to experience whatever he was proposing.
When the blindfold was removed, I had to take a moment to adjust my eyes. Everything seemed in place to me. Nothing was unusual or new. I didn’t get it. Then Stenton took me by the shoulders again, slightly pivoting me a thirty degree angle to have a frontal view of the bed. That’s when I saw it.
In each of the four corners of his bed were long black straps, crossing the bed, with metal chains at the ends that attached to another strap, lined with Velcro. It took no time for me to register the application.
“You’re into BDSM?”
I could feel Stenton’s chuckle from above as his chin rested on the top of my head.
“Very mildly. Only the bondage.”
I steeled in place, shocked that I’d missed it. Stenton had been so passive about sex, leaving me to be the aggressor. I didn’t think that was the characteristic of a person with kink.
“Are you going to speak again or run? Because I’ve changed my mind about allowing you out of here if you decide to, having seen you and those in the same place.” His voice poured out like a pained hum.
Still not in control of my breathing, I answered, “I’m not running. I mean…I won’t be running.”
Another exhale escaped him. “Good, Niña.”
“But why the restraints? What draws you to that type of kink?”
That quickly, I regretted the term.
Stenton’s laughter extended this time. I was relieved I didn’t offend him.
“I like the idea of having you helplessly at my mercy and direction when bringing you pleasure.”
“Me? I’m the only woman you’ve done this with? Because Mr. Rogers, I don’t mind being your guinea pig, but it’ll be mighty embarrassing having a firefighter release me from those devices.”
“No, but I don’t think I’ve ever wanted it more with a woman than I do with you.”
Not able to peel my gaze from the restraints, I shrugged. “Then, let’s do it.”
My body was roughly turned, completely. Stenton’s scowl bore into me.
“You fucking inspire me, Zoey. You’re so bold and daring. You have no idea how much of that energy I pull from you when you’re not with me.”
I gasped. Undulated exhilaration coursed my sensually heightened body. Though my sex was still a bit tender from the night before, I wanted Stenton so bad, pleasure and pain. I jumped into his arms, clamping every limb onto his frame.
“Show me,” I found myself purring.
Stenton’s lips crashed into mine, his tongue touring my mouth with hunger. His long hands tightly
gripping my backside, lifting me onto him, had me eagerly climbing his trunk. He gently laid me at the center of the bed and slowly strapped my wrists and ankles in the restraints, my pulse raced with grave anticipation at the sound of each application.
When he was done, Stenton stepped back and observed his handiwork, forcing me to do the same. My breasts sat high and perky, swollen at the apex. My legs were spread eagle, my sex totally exposed to him. I felt dizzy with longing, so carnal and out of my controlled element.
“You’re so fucking beautiful just like this, Niña. You have no idea how crazy I feel right now.” The molten look in his eyes gave me an idea.
I felt wholly feminine, paradoxically powerful while restrained.
Turned on by his appraisal and antsy to explore whatever he had coming, I cried out, “Stenton.” It was more of a whisper. A plea.
“Fuck, Zo!” he growled and climbed on the bed appearing very feral.
Stenton greedily took to my body with his hungry mouth, devouring my breasts before slowly moving south. I lay there, panting maniacally, and shivering, enjoying every swipe his tongue paid my heightened skin, and each kiss his warm and cushioned lips bestowed on my trembling frame. Stenton was no longer the hesitant lover I’d perceived last night. Tonight, he was the measured and provocative aggressor and that equally excited and frightened me.
When his face hit my core, my pelvis jolted. Stenton’s head rose to give me a moment to relax, and eventually I did. His mouth returned, applying chaste kisses down my slickened feminine lips. Mechanically, I tried closing my thighs, but the restraints prevented that. Then I felt the force of his stiffened tongue move along the opening of my labia. I shivered. He did it again, this time adding more pressure. His tongue moved up and down in patient succession and the more he moved, the tighter the strain I put on my limbs in the restraints. Stenton must have felt my tensing because his head swung up and I could see his questioning scowl.
“You’ve never been tasted.” My belly tightened with tension. It was more of a statement, but one that required confirmation.
