by Emma Quinn
Nathan still hadn’t answered, which only served to exacerbate my nervousness.
“You’re kind of freaking me out,” I mumbled as I picked at under my fingernails. “Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” he replied quickly. “God, no. You didn’t do anything. I just…” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he sighed. “I got you something,” he said finally.
I inhaled sharply, relief flooding right through me. “Oh. Oh, okay.” I playfully punched him in the arm. I forgot how strong and sturdy Nathan was, so my knuckles wound up sticking instead. “Why did you look so worried?”
“It’s kind of a big gift,” he said as he shuffled through one of the larger paper grocery bags. “And I didn’t want you to panic, I guess.”
“What is it?”
He handed me a fairly sizeable box that was wrapped up in gold and silver striped gift paper. I wasn’t sure how I hadn’t noticed it before –probably because I was too excited to see him to realize he’d lugged it inside. I took the box from him, marveling at how heavy it was.
“Open it,” he said.
I sat down at the kitchen table and started to rip at the packaging, tearing the pretty paper off to reveal the sealed box within. A picture of its contents had been printed onto the package’s lid, a long with the name and model of the product. My mouth fell open, but no words sprang to mind.
“A DJI Phantom drone?” I gawked. I looked up at Nathan, stunned. “Are you– Nathan, how did you afford this?”
“Do you like it?”
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t manage to take a full breath. “Do I like it? Of course I like it, but I can’t–” I shook my head in disbelief. “Nathan, this is too much. I can’t accept this.”
“Yes, you can.”
“No. I really can’t. I don’t want you wasting your money on me.”
He chuckled. “It’s not a waste. You’re a photographer. I know you’ll use it.”
“But this must have cost you at least two thousand dollars. How can you even afford that?”
Nathan shrugged his left shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just say that I get a really good deal at work.”
“Nathan, I–” I choked.
Tears blurred the corners of my vision. This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me. I wasn’t used to have such nice things, let alone being given something of such value for free. I felt so spoiled that it was overwhelming, gratitude overflowing my veins. The nicest thing Tommy ever did for me was occasionally take me out to a nice restaurant, though we often had to split the bill in order to afford it. Tommy would occasionally clean the whole apartment and say he was doing it to help me out, even though it was really his mess to begin with.
Nathan chuckled softly as he cupped my face, gingerly pressing his lips to my eyes. “Don’t cry, silly. Why are you crying?”
I tilted my head up and kissed him, a small way of showing my thanks. It was easy to melt against him, every muscle in my body relaxing as he circled my waist and held me tight. I hooked my hands around the back of his neck and parted my lips when I felt Nathan’s tongue tease them apart.
Things only escalated from there.
Sweet, tender kisses grew deeper and more passionate. His hold on me became tighter and tighter until he was picking me up off the floor and carrying me over to my bed. We crashed onto the mattress together, Nathan’s weight on top of me a wonderous comfort. My fingers made quick work of his button-down shirt, made an absolute mess of his hair as I slid my tongue over his. We breathed through our noses so that our lips didn’t have to part, hot breath mingling together to ricochet off our cheeks.
I yanked his shirt off with more ferocity than I expected, flinging the garment onto the floor. I pressed heated kisses to his chest, dragging my fingers over the fine details of his tattoo. Nathan’s body was hard and lean, utter perfection beneath my touch. His skin was fire, but I was more than happy to burn if it meant I got to admire him for a little while longer.
Nathan raked his fingers through my hair and gently gave it a tuck, forcing my head back to expose my neck. He feverishly mouthed at the tender skin, sucking hard enough to leave marks down my throat. When he moaned against me, I could feel his voice vibrate in my chest. The sound traveled through me, adding to the pool of pleasure growing between my legs. I gasped when his rough palm slipped beneath my shirt, gruffly sliding its way up my navel towards my breasts.
He had me out of my shirt and pink lace bra before I could blink, working his way down to pepper kisses against my collar bone, the center of my chest, then to my breasts. I moaned with pleasure when he teased my nipples. The stiffness in the front of his pants was undeniable, growing larger and harder by the second. Without hesitation, Nathan helped me tug of my jeans and underwear, tossing my clothes onto the floor to join the rest.
Even in the dim evening lighting, I could see that his pupils were blown wide open with desire. He straightened his back, resting on his knees between my parted legs as he studied me with curious hunger. To lie naked before him like this, completely exposed, was simultaneously exhilarating and embarrassing. I tried to close my legs, a sudden wave of bashfulness overcoming me, but Nathan kept my knees apart with a strong hand on either one.
“Let me look at you,” he ordered.
His voice was a low growl that sent heat straight to my cheeks. He was bold and brazen and wonderfully commanding.
“Nathan, I–”
“You’re beautiful,” he mumbled, licking his lips. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
It had been such a long time since someone called me beautiful that I almost didn’t believe him. But there was no denying the look in his eye. He meant it.
“Do you want me to stop?” Nathan asked. “We don’t have to go any further if you–”
“I want to,” I said, cutting him off. “I really, really want to.”
Nathan smirked before grabbing my hips, dipping down to tongue and my swollen clit. The flick of his tongue was so unexpected that a little yelp escaped me. I had to clasp my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming in pleasure.
What Nathan was doing to me was downright sinful. His tongue expertly drew circles against me, applying steady pressure to stimulate my nerve-endings. My whole body was burning, hotter than any star in the known universe. Every pass of his tongue, every gentle and deliberate graze of his teeth set fireworks off deep within my core. He seemed to know exactly what I wanted, easing off when things were getting to be too much and charging forward to drive me closer and closer to the edge.
A jolt of electricity spikes through me when Nathan presses a long, slender finger into me, curling in a beckoning motion to sweep right over my sweet spot. The tsunami of pleasure that crashes through me knocks the air straight out of my lungs in the form of a low, desperate moan.
“Nathan,” I whimper, clinging to the sheets beneath me as I toss my head to the side. “Yes. Just like that. Just like that!”
I came undone at the seams before I even knew what hit me. It was like someone had filled my veins with gasoline and struck a match. It was explosive. It was all-consuming. The ecstasy was so overwhelming and powerful that it blanked my mind, erased any and all thoughts from existence. I could feel my walls throbbing around his finger, legs jerking as he continued to tease me with his tongue.
I had no choice but to run my fingers through his hair and gently tug his lips away. It was too much for me to handle, oversensitivity kicking in harder than I expected.
Nathan rose once again, licking his moist lips as he grinned. “Good?” he asked, full well knowing the answer.
I nodded, a wave of exhaustion weighing my eyelids down. “Amazing,” I corrected. I reached between my legs and gingerly massaged the front of his pants, which now looked painfully tight. “Looks like it’s your turn,” I said smugly.
Nathan said nothing. He could only exhale through the mouth as he undid his belt and unzipped the front of his pa
nts, pulling his hard cock free from the confines of his black boxer briefs.
I got up onto my knees and knelt before him, gripping his hard shaft in my hand as I admired the head of his cock. It was red with need, already dripping to have me. The veins on his thick shaft looked utterly divine, a bed of wiry hairs at the base. I ventured a few strokes of his length, reveling in the way Nathan moaned.
“You… You don’t have to,” he said, though his eyes gave away how desperately he wanted me. And I wanted him just as badly.
I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock in reply.
12
Nathan
W
hen Diana swirled her tongue around, I swore to God I almost went blind with pleasure. The wet heat of her mouth was dizzying. Her mouth enveloped me, didn’t leave a single inch of my swollen cock ignored. Dianna hollowed her cheeks and sucked me in, taking my entire length until I hit the back of her throat. The growl she managed to draw from me wasn’t human. If she had it her way, Dianna would reduce me to nothing but an animal.
I wanted to fuck her mouth. It felt too fucking good and Dianna was taking her time, slow and excruciatingly tender. My hips bucked involuntarily in search of more of that sweet friction, but I forced myself to still. I didn’t want to push her into do more than she could handle. It was just a shame that her playful tongue made the thought a near impossibility.
“Dianna,” I hissed. “Dianna, fuck.”
She hummed contently, smiling around my pulsing cock. She stroked me in tandem with the rhythmic bobbing of her head, beautiful hair falling over her eyes and face. I didn’t dare brush it away. I knew the second I laced my fingers in her hair, all I’d want to do was take control. My cock throbbed at the thought of gripping her gently by the roots, holding her face stead with my free hand and thrusting into her mouth. I could just imagine the lovely noises she’d make as she swallowed me down.
But I didn’t want to hurt her. Dianna was too precious, too good to treat that way. I’d never paid past girlfriends the same courtesy. They seemed to like a deep throat fucking. But Dianna? No. I wanted to treat her with the utmost care, like she was a priceless treasure that I wouldn’t dare take for granted.
The tight coil in the pit of my gut grew hotter with an alarming intensity. I hand to pull away, too close to the edge. Dianna looked up at me with those big, blue eyes like water.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, lips wet with my cum.
She really was a sight to behold. Down on her hands and knees, beautiful full breasts squeezed together with her lips red and swollen –she was too much.
“Lie down,” I growled.
She did exactly as I asked. I silently relished how obedient she was. She pressed her hands against my chest, the tips of her fingers burning hotter than an iron.
“Do you have protection?” she asked.
I mentally kicked myself. “Ah, no.”
Without hesitation, Dianna reached to her side and pulled open one of the storage drawers beneath her daybed. She shifted around in the darkness, producing a box of condoms.
I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Bought them last year. When I was still with, uh… Still with my ex. They’re not expired yet.”
I chuckled, plucking one of the packages from the box. She tossed the rest back into the storage drawer and slammed it shut as I slipped the rubber on.
I scooped her up in my arms and held her as tight as I dared, exploring her mouth with the tip of my tongue as I pressed into her. Dianna groaned into my mouth, the sound going straight to my cock. A part of me wanted to be rough and hard, show her exactly what I was capable of and drive her absolutely wild. But this was our first time together, and I promised I was going to savor every moment of it. Dianna deserved nothing less.
We moved together with a fluidity that surprised me. Every one of my thrusts was met with just the right amount of give. Dianna continued to play with my hair, scraping at my scalp and the back of my neck with her fingernails as I rolled my hips against her, choosing a rhythm that was neither hurried nor too slow. I aimed for her sweet spot, knew I hit it again and again by the way Dianna’s entire body seemed to jolt.
Her slick heat surrounding me was pure bliss. If I could, I would stay here in her arms forever. This wasn’t like any of my previous encounters. This was something real, something pure and full of love. This wasn’t just sex. This was something so much more than that.
It was the first time I’d ever looked at a woman this way. Looking into her eyes made my heart sing. Hearing her voice settled my nerves. Getting to see her smile was the highlight of my day. Touching her skin was a privilege, and kissing her lips was like praying –almost entirely sacred and otherworldly.
I think I’m falling for her.
And I think she’s falling for you.
Dianna’s grip around me tightened as she moaned. “Nathan.” The urgency in her voice and the tightness of her walls around me told me that she was close. “Nathan, I’m going to– I think I’m going to cum.”
I nibbled on her bottom lip as I picked up my pace, snapping my hips into her to help her get there. Dianna arched her back as she climaxed a second time, body shuddering around me as I spilled over, too. Exhaustion was quick to follow, but I managed to give her a good hard kiss before my legs gave out. We lay together, breathing heavily. With my head resting on her chest, I could hear the hard thumping of her heart. Our fingers were entwined, the both of us too tired to part ways. I didn’t think we’d do so, anyways, but after the night we’d had, it was an impossibility.
“That was amazing,” she hummed, sound perfectly satisfied. Dianna played with the hair at the nape of my neck. “You don’t have to go tonight, do you?”
“No,” I replied. “No, I can stay.”
Dianna smiled, nothing but adoration behind her baby blues. “Good. I’m glad.” Her stomach grumbled loudly in protest, the sound bringing a blush to her cheeks and the tips of her ears.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll make you dinner in a second,” I told her.
She laughed, too. Her voice was sweeter than honey and lighter than air. “Thank you. You’re the best.”
I smiled, but I don’t think it reached my eyes.
She thinks you’re the best, Nathan. Does she know you’re a liar?
I swallowed and sat up, drinking in the sight of Dianna’s lovely body.
I reluctantly got out of bed and cleaned up. Throwing on my pants, I headed toward the kitchen to get a start on dinner. As I laid out all the ingredients on the counter, I found myself lost in thought. I really had no idea how the fuck I was going to tell Dianna the truth. Every time I tried, something got in the way. I could tell her now and come clean, get it over with, but she’d likely be furious. How could I reveal such vital information to her so late? How could I tell her the truth only after we slept together?
It’s too late. I can’t tell her now. She’ll hate me.
I don’t want her to hate me.
13
Dianna
T
here was extra pep in my step that morning as I skipped out into Pelican Media’s parking lot to help load up the company van. Stephen and a few other crew members were busy moving heavy lighting equipment, along with a couple of hard silver suitcases that contained my camera’s more expensive lenses. I even had the drone Nathan gifted to me yesterday tucked into the backseat. It’d probably come in handy. Maybe I could take a few aerial shots of the Monteverde warehouse to give a couple of B-roll options for Rachel to choose from for the final magazine spread.
It wasn’t everyday that I got the chance to work on a corporate piece. I was so used to working with bitchy models and whiny celebrities that I found the whole thing refreshing. We hadn’t even started yet, and I always already brimming with creative ideas. My mind was clear, inspiration taking hold of my brain. My finger was practically itching to press the trigger button and we weren’t even at the location yet.
I sat
in the passenger seat of the van while Stephen took the wheel. As we pulled out of the company parking lot, I happened to notice him take a couple of sideways glances at me.
“Something on my face?” I asked, amused.
“You, uh… You look nice today.”
“I do?”
“Yeah. Different. Did you… Did you do something to your hair or something?”
I shook my head. “No. Nothing different.”
“Uh, um… Okay, then.”
I turned slightly in my seat to get a good look at him. Stephen had dressed up a bit today. Instead of his regular graphic t-shirt and distressed jeans, he was in a white button-down shirt and a pair of black dress pants. He was still wearing the same rundown sneakers, though, which kind of threw the whole ensemble off. His long hair wasn’t greasy for a change, pulled up into a respectable ponytail behind his head. If I squinted hard enough, I could see the small cuts he’d sustained on his cheeks and chin from where he attempted to shave. His wiry beard certainly seemed more tame than usual.
“Look at you, all snazzy,” I said. “You got a hot date tonight or something?”
Stephen gripped at the steering wheel, his forearms flexing. “N-no. No, I just wanted to… Try something new, I guess.”
I nodded in support. “Well, good on you.”
“D-do you think I look okay?”
I smiled at him. I was glad to Stephen was trying to take better care of himself. If he needed a little extra encouragement, I could definitely give him that.
“You look great,” I replied honestly.
Stephen broke out into a toothy smile, the tips of his cheeks burning red.
Aww, he’s so shy.
The Monteverde warehouse was located roughly an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles, but there were several distribution centers within the city to make things even more convenient for their shoppers. This main warehouse, however, was apparently where the majority of product fulfillment was taken care of. It was a central hub for orders being sent internationally, which might have explained why things were so busy here.
