The Plumber's Helper

by Blaise Kilgallen

  Jake had settled back between her thighs, pausing and looking down with questions in his eyes, waiting for her answers.

  "Jake, I … never talked sex with anyone. Especially, not like this."

  "You mean nobody asked you what you like?"

  "No. Nobody. Not even Grady." Especially, Grady, she thought. Maybe that was what was wrong with the marriage.

  "It's time you did. How else will a guy know what you want him to do?"

  He bent forward and kissed her stomach, his wet lips swirling around her navel. "If you can't tell me, show me what you like."

  For a split second, Roxy wanted to bury her embarrassment in the pillow, but then she took courage. She'd had lots of wild fantasies after her marriage with Grady had disintegrated. She often thought she should write them down in case she found a guy who would do the wild things she wanted in bed. Someone like that could have her crazy with lust, satisfying her until she was a pile of limp spaghetti, unable to move a finger. Maybe she should tell Jake about some of the less weird things she dreamed up. It might be fun.

  She looked at her nipples. They had softened now that Jake wasn't teasing them. She drew an index finger around an aureole, getting closer and closer to the nipple until it hardened again. "I thought it might be fun if someone licked grape jelly off of my tits some morning for breakfast."

  A wicked chortle escaped Jake. "A little messy, maybe, but okay, we can do that some morning. I like bagels and cream cheese so the jelly would go fine, too." He grinned. "Tell me more." His voice had turned raw, husky, very intense.

  Roxy trailed her fingertips over her naked stomach, touching the faint growth of hair on her pubis. Knowing she was blushing, she closed her eyes, wanting to climax this minute so much it hurt. "I'd like somebody…" She hesitated to say what she wanted. She envisioned Jake doing what she wanted.

  Then it was him stroking her clit when she peeked between her lashes. He teased her until she began to press herself against his fingers. Spreading her legs wider, he pushed one, then another blunt digit inside her next to the first. Her damp flesh eagerly accepted his plunging moves. He drove as far and deep as he could into the drenched center of her sex.

  Roxy's breath caught in her throat. The sensations titillating her vagina escalated; the pressure and stroking of his fingers was as erotic as pain. Intense. Very real. It felt wonderful.

  She didn't want him to stop.

  After divorcing Grady, when she played with herself, she always used the dildo. Even the manufacturer never claimed an all-consuming orgasm using his product would give satisfaction as good as a man's cock. It was a matter of technique, the directions had read. A live male's hot, flesh and blood penis pounding into one's body could only be experienced by the rhythm and total enjoyment of carnal intercourse.

  Roxy felt the liquid gold gush out of her onto Jake's fingers. In a way, she was embarrassed, but she didn't care. She had to find the mountaintop she was trying to reach while he was here. Raising her hips off the mattress, she begged for more.

  Using his thumb, Jake rubbed her clit. He pumped his long fingers in and out of the slick passage while waiting for explosions to burst from those sensitive nerve endings. When he thumbed her more, Roxy's exulting moan was powerful, wavering on the air like beautiful music to his ears when he heard her satisfaction.

  Then all was quiet except his and Roxy's heavy breathing. "We're not done yet, Roxy," he murmured. "This is only the beginning. I'll teach you everything I know about pleasuring a woman if you let me. We can try all the positions, see the best ways you like to do it."

  She couldn't answer; she had no breath. She simply nodded her head. The next thing she knew, he was pushing into her vagina, testing his entry, inch by inch.

  Jake wondered if Roxy knew what it took for him to slow down and go easy. Lust raged through him like a blazing inferno. He was a red-blooded male, elemental hunger for release boiling in his veins like a storm blowing through dry grass in summer. His penis was granite hard, pulsing, sensitive, needing to plunge into her as far as it would reach—to her womb if that were possible. He wanted her next climax with him to be something she would remember for a long, long time and never forgot. Not like that night in the rowboat.

  "Jake! Jake!" she screamed. At first he thought he'd hurt her. Then he realized she was coming again. His thrusts grew faster and harder until he teetered on the brink with her. In one wild space of glorious togetherness, they soared to the stars as one.

  Jake slumped on top of her.

  It was a few hours later when he rolled over, awoke, and glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table. Three o'clock, Saturday morning. He hated to leave her. He wanted to make love to her again, but she was sleeping peacefully. It would be greedy to wake her even if she wanted to do it again. He gazed down at the young woman beside him. Her blond hair spread behind her head like a halo in the glow of the dim nightlight. Her mouth was partially open and she breathed through her mouth like a small child. Lashes lay like dark lace against her tanned cheeks. She looked tuckered out after the second time they'd made love. For some unholy reason, a twinge of protectiveness settled over him and took root. Even as he acknowledged the feeling, Jake knew he wasn't ready to commit to marriage with anyone, even if his parents and his grandfather were hoping he'd settle down. None of his brothers were ready either. He had already told Roxy that on the patio, and he believed it was true.

  Jake slowly eased off of the mattress and stood up. He'd come back later so they could spend the rest of the weekend making love. He'd catch a couple of hours of sleep maybe, then show up on her doorstep—bring her breakfast in bed. He laughed silently. I'll even bring along a jar of grape jelly. And more of me and my helper if she's still willing.

  Shit! He hadn't had such a great weekend in years!

  * * * *

  When Roxy opened her eyes, Jake was leaning a brawny shoulder against the doorway to her bedroom. "Jake? What are you doing here? Didn't you leave last night?"

  "I did, but I'm back."

  "Oh." She hesitated because she wasn't sure what to say to him after last night. "Er, why don't you go … I don't know … go look at the lake or something so I can get dressed?" That was about as much sense she could manage on such short notice.

  "No reason for you to get dressed, Roxy. I'll only have to take those clothes off you again later."

  "Is that so?" she snapped sharply, getting her wits together finally. "Well, I don't think we'll be doing any more screwing around. You've still got work to finish."

  "There's only a little more to do, so I thought I'd spend the rest of the day with you."

  "Just like that, huh, Jake? What makes you think that's what I want to be doing?"

  One broad shoulder lifted away from where it rested. He sauntered slowly toward the bed. Roxy quickly covered herself with the sheet, arms folded over her chest, realizing he had been eyeing her breasts again.

  Jake sat on the edge of the mattress, then bent over to kiss her, grabbing her wrists and bracing his hands on either side of her head while he rubbed his T-shirted chest against her boobs, grinning all the while.

  Oh God! She groaned silently, feeling her nipples harden within seconds.

  "See what I mean, Rox? You can't get enough of me, can you?" He kissed her again, this time pulling her up tight against his chest. She couldn't say a word with his tongue doing wonderful things to her mouth.

  Finally, she said, "Jake, we can't stay in bed all day."

  "Who says? I've got no appointments today." He made as if to tug his shirt out of his jeans. "Have you?"

  "Stop it, Jake." She grabbed his hands. "No, but I've got work…"

  He smothered her lips with his again and kissed her as if time would never end. She lay back on the pillows at last and looked up at him while he gazed down at her. He grinned. She grinned back. They were both enjoying what happened, until she gently pushed him away.

  "Enough of this for now. Let me up, Jake. Go make breakfast.
I'll be in the kitchen in a few minutes."

  He hesitated, but finally gave up. As he turned in the doorway he said wickedly, "I brought some grape jelly for later." And then he left, chuckling all the way to the kitchen.

  As it turned out, Jake never did bring her breakfast in bed that day. But he did scramble eggs, fry bacon, and toast the bagels he'd brought with him from town. They both ate a hearty meal.

  "I normally don't eat breakfast," she said, chewing on a crusty, buttered bagel.

  "I told you, you were kinda skinny, Rox. My mother said you should always have a good breakfast to start your day." He winked. "I may take umbrage about her words. There are other things that start a morning on the right foot. But, you know, you really should eat more."

  "I'm usually rushing to the office and don't have time to eat."

  "Life's too short, Rox. Slow down and smell the flowers."

  "Oh Lord, Jake, what a cliché! Can't you do better than that?"

  "Probably, but I don't feel like stretching my brain today. I just want to make love to you."

  Roxy let that remark pass. "Want more coffee?"

  "Yeah. Fine."

  After she filled his mug again, he asked, "What shall we do today besides … you know?"

  "Jake, I really need to finish reading a manuscript before Monday or I'll have my head taken off by the slave driver in my office. Do you want to take the sailboat out for an hour or so? I promise I'll try to do it quickly." She glanced across the table at him. "I'm glad you came back today," she added.

  Although he grumbled, he said, "I guess I can find something to do. Maybe go for a swim. We can always talk about old times, right? But, yeah, okay. I'll leave you alone for an hour."

  "Go to it, plumber man. I'll do the dishes, and you can get out of here."

  Jake stripped down to his swimming trunks, left his clothes on a hook in the bathroom, and headed for the boathouse. Roxy watched him row out to her sailboat then washed and dried the few breakfast dishes and put them away. She grabbed the manuscript and padded down the path barefoot to the hammock. She saw Jake in the small boat farther out in the center of the large lake. She didn't worry about Jake. She knew he was comfortable in and on the water.

  "Good. He'll leave me alone for a little while," she muttered to herself. But the problem was she couldn't concentrate on what she was reading. It was dry stuff, even if all she was supposed to do was make grammar and punctuation suggestions.

  Her mind floated back to last night—and Jake Plummer.

  She learned what kind of a lover Jake was, all right. He was awesome in bed. She wanted more time with him. It seemed when he whispered those tiny suggestions to her, he led her to greater heights of pleasure while he was fucking her. No one had ever done that before. It sure made lovemaking more special; more satisfying.

  Jake kept asking if I wanted him to do different things. If I liked what he was doing. He was also careful, experienced, and hit all the right buttons without me saying too much to guide him.

  When he'd finally plunged into her after her second climax, she'd literally blacked out for a couple of seconds. That never happened to her, ever. The man, Roxy thought, was a walking, talking sex machine. She wanted him to fuck her again. Soon.

  Oh yeah, I want him for as long as this little affair lasts. Maybe, I'll ask him to hold off on finishing the job until Thursday when I'm here for the long weekend.

  Roxy put on her reading glasses and bent her nose to the manuscript with a vengeance, skimming through it rapidly.

  * * * *

  "Want something to eat, Jake? Or something to drink?" she asked when he brought the sailboat back in and trotted up where she was lying on the patio's double chaise.

  "Just a wet, slurpy kiss, Roxy," he said with a smirk and plopped beside her on the cushions.

  "You're crazy, Jake," she said, smiling into his eyes and making room for him. "I don't know what's gotten into you. Really."

  "Maybe you snuck some aphrodisiac into my wine last night, Roxy, because all I think of is gliding into that slick tunnel of yours and doing my best to send you to the moon."

  He rolled toward her on the chaise, throwing one bare arm around her waist and nuzzling her breasts with his nose and lips.

  "Jake! Someone will see us!"

  "Then let's go inside, huh?" He leaned away and grabbed her hand against him where his penis was hot and hard, a prominent bulge in his swimming trunks.

  She couldn't help herself; she allowed her fingers to stay there and stroked the plumber's helper. She felt it grow bigger and harder.

  "Oh yeah, don't stop, Roxy," he said softly. "What you're doing feels real good. I'll let you know if you go too far so I don't spill out here. By the way, there's a new box of condoms in my pants pocket."

  "But Jake? Last night, didn't you…"

  "Sorry, sweetheart. My mistake. It won't happen again. I promise you."

  "Dammit, I hope not. I don't need a pregnancy, you know." She yanked her hand away from his private parts. A tight frown puckered her brow.

  The air between them grew a bit chilly, tense, stretching taut like a rubber band for several long seconds. Finally, he said, "If anything happens, I'll make it up to you. That's the truth, so help me God."

  "What will you do, Jake? Marry me?"

  "If I have to, yeah."

  "Oh great!" she exclaimed, and sat up straight, pulling away from him. "Just what I need. Another guy who wanted to do the right thing ended up marrying me and screwing up my life. Try: " Well, don't worry, Jake. I can take care of myself if anything goes wrong, okay? Just … let's not think about it; let's not even talk about it. I'll do the worrying if the time comes."

  "Whatever you say, Rox." He wasn't stupid. This sharp, unexpected discussion changed the tone of things and took the fun out of the idea of an afternoon spent fucking Roxy. "Er, maybe I should finish the job in the basement. What do you think?"

  "Yeah, maybe that's a good idea." She stood up. "I'm going to take a swim. Let me know when you're done. I'll say goodbye to you then." She spun on her heel and went into the house to change into her bikini.

  After pulling on her suit, Roxy left from the kitchen deck, making her way along the side of the house, rather than through the basement. She followed the path to the large wooden dock and threw down her towel. Walking to the edge of the platform, she hesitated, then cut the water cleanly in an expert dive, and swam out about 75 yards. She turned over on her back and floated, much the same way Jake had those years before. This time, no one came out to meet her. When she swam back to the dock, she toweled off and lay down in the sun on the dock to dry off.

  Jake closed the ceiling back together and gathered up his tools and his ladder. He brought them around to the rear of the house and left them there. Then he went into the bathroom and donned his clothes again, rolling his trunks into a ball.

  The last thing he did was stroll down to the dock.

  "All done, Roxy."

  She glanced up at him, poised tall and handsome where he stopped beside her. She thought for a minute that her heart might crack open and break. All those memories from before paraded before her in current visions of Jake and what the two of them had finally done together. Now she shoved any silly notions out of her head. She had been a little in love with Jake Plummer since high school. She certainly wasn't going to fall into that same trap now. Especially, if she were pregnant.

  His carelessness had angered her. Dammit, how dumb had he been? Protected sex was the reality nowadays. Women she knew usually wore some kind of protection against disease, if not against pregnancy. She didn't, because she hadn't planned to sleep with anyone, not then, nor for a long time. Until Jake's sudden appearance fogged her senses enough that she forgot what could happen while she was enjoying herself. Had she been the stupid one not to ask him? Even so, she was still upset. He should have known better.

  "Did you leave your bill, Jake?" Her tone was cool.

  "Er, no. I'll send it to the house
in a couple of days. There's no hurry to pay it, Roxy."

  "Thanks, then." She rolled over, sat up, and rose to reach a hand out to his. "I appreciate your doing this over the weekend. Otherwise, I would have had to take off work. So it all worked out."

  "Yeah. It all worked out."

  He still held her hand, she realized, until she pulled it away and brought it to her side. "Well," she said behind lips that tightened into a straight line. "Enjoy your Sunday off, Jake."

  "Roxy…"

  "Goodbye, Jake. It's been nice seeing you again."

  He frowned and ducked his head as if he meant to say more. Instead, he turned away. His rigid posture didn't change as he walked up the slope and around the side of the house. A few minutes later, Roxy heard his truck pull out of the gravel driveway, tires screeching, a noisy scattering of small stones from what must've been a quick acceleration.

  Obviously, Jake was pissed. She recalled later that he never said goodbye.

  Chapter Eight

  Monday morning traffic was always a bitch. Roxy was twenty-five minutes late on the train that pulled into Penn Station. Then she couldn't hail a cab for another ten minutes. By the time she got to work, she was frazzled, hot, and ornery. It was just as well that she'd stopped for coffee and a donut in the coffee shop next door, or she would really be out of sorts.

  She got to her cubbyhole of an office and dropped her briefcase onto a second chair. She banged her knee against the desk. "Dammit!" She cursed under her breath and rubbed her damaged shin for a few moments, feeling even grumpier. The weekend was still too vivid on her mind.

  Still standing she sipped her coffee, chewing on a cream donut as she rolled the tension out of the muscles of her neck and shoulders. She must have slept wrong; she'd awoken with a crick in her neck. She finally remembered why. She had wrapped the dildo in a towel where it left an uncomfortable lump under the pillow. Roxy sighed aloud, and sat down to face her desk, scrutinizing what she needed to do today. She reached for her briefcase, pulled out two manuscripts, and plunked them down in front of her. She had reread the last part of one manuscript on the train, but she hadn't truly absorbed what she was reading. Maybe she should go over that one, one more time.