30 Days

by Christine d'Abo

  We stared at each other a while longer before continuing down the road. When he spoke, it was the first time since we’d gotten together that the self-confident mask slipped. His grip on my arm tightened, as though he was scared I’d run away. As if.

  “When Angie called me, when I finally listened to her, and she told me she was sick, I went. She’d cheated on me, used me so she could move in certain social circles, but she didn’t love me. Not the way you and Rob loved each other.”

  A group of children ran past us, balloons chasing behind them. He watched them go, his stride slowing. “I didn’t think I could give you what Rob had. The more I listened to you talk about him and the things you did, I didn’t know if I had what it took. My only long-term relationship had been tainted and ended horrifically. I didn’t want to hurt you, but in my mind I was bound to screw things up like I had with her. So I went back.”

  “But she’d lied to you.”

  “It wasn’t much of a surprise. It was her way of forcing me to listen to her. And I did. Listen. The problem was she wasn’t saying anything new. It was about her wants and needs. She didn’t ask me what I wanted or needed. Funny thing was I nearly fell for it.” He took my face in his hands and bent forward until our lips touched. “Until you sent me that first picture. Then I knew what I had with her had never been real. Not like what we’d shared. I had to get you back. If you’ll have me.”

  “Yes.”

  I couldn’t tell you who started the kiss, not that it mattered. He held my face, his thumbs caressing my skin as his fingers massaged my scalp. His lips were demanding softly, unyielding in their desire for more. I didn’t deny him, or myself. I slid my hands around his neck, pressing my body hard against him until no one would be able to see that we weren’t one entity.

  It was in that moment I became a plural once more.

  Alyssa and Harrison.

  When we finally came up for air, I caught the sounds of some giggles and catcalls in the distance. “Seems we have an audience.”

  He cocked an eyebrow and looked around. “I don’t remember that being on the cards.”

  “I think we can forget about the cards now. We’ve officially moved past them.” I patted his chest and toyed with one of his buttons. “I do wish we had a bed though.”

  “Funny you should mention that.” He turned me to face a charming little house. “Ta-da.”

  “What’s this?”

  “This is a bed and breakfast that just so happened to have their last guests leave a day early. We have a room for a night. If you want.”

  I squealed and jumped up and down. “I want! Now. Sex now, please.”

  He pulled me back against his side and led me up the walkway. “Calm down or else they might change their minds.”

  “Did they not know about the impending crazy-monkey-sex? That’s bad form not to warn them, Mr. Kemp.”

  “I’m a bad man.”

  I kissed the back of his hand. “No you’re not. You are a very good man. And I look forward to showing you exactly how I feel about you.”

  32

  The owner of the B&B was a charming middle-aged woman who wasn’t at all naïve to the fact that we were about to go bang like bunnies.

  “You two are lucky. We’re normally booked solid for most of the summer. My last booking had to leave early due to an unexpected change in their flight.”

  “Luck seems to be on my side these days,” Harrison said before placing a kiss to my temple. “Thank you for fitting us in.”

  “I’ve changed the bedding and left the menu on the nightstand. Normally I need an hour warning about supper. If I don’t hear from you by seven, then I’ll assume you’re not hungry.”

  The sparkle in her eyes as she directed us to the room at the far end of the house had me blushing like a madwoman. Yeah, I knew that not hungry was code for fucking. Thankfully, she didn’t call us out directly. I probably would have melted into the floor if she had.

  I took a breath before I opened the door and stepped inside. The room was absolutely beautiful. I spun in a slow circle so I could take everything in. “Wow. This place is . . . wow.”

  “Couldn’t have put it better myself.” He wasn’t looking at anything except me.

  And there was that blush again. “Oh stop.”

  “I’m not stopping until I hear you scream.” He shut and locked the door.

  “No. No way. Screaming is totally vetoed. Did you see the look she gave us?” It would have been slightly less embarrassing if we were newlyweds or something. But only slightly.

  “Well then, we can do Day Twenty-two then.” He started taking off his shirt as he kicked off his shoes.

  Not wanting to be left behind, I pulled my T-shirt off and tossed it aside. “How do you remember all the cards? I only know a few of them.”

  “I’m a guy. They’re sex cards written by a guy. I also have an excellent memory.” He unzipped his fly and pushed his pants down. “Plus I took pictures of them all.”

  “You what?” I threw my shorts at his head. “Why would you take pictures of them?”

  “To impress you with the size of my memory.” He smirked then pushed his briefs to the floor.

  I looked at his erect cock and licked my lips. “Consider me impressed. But remember what they say. It’s not the size of the memory, but what you can do with it.” I made quick work of the rest of my clothing, not stopping until I was as naked as he was.

  “That sounds like a challenge.” He came closer a step.

  “It is.” I took a step as well.

  He took a side step toward the bed. “Then I better make sure I live up to expectations.”

  I took a side step to match him. “You will.”

  “You can’t make a noise.” Then he reached down and pulled something out of his pocket. “I’d taken this off earlier. I think it might come in handy now.”

  It was a black silk tie.

  My body was very pleased to see it. Rather than verbally give my consent, I sat down on the bed and opened my mouth. Harrison sighed as he lifted the tie to my lips, slid it into place, and tied it around the back of my head. “That is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  I could have responded, the tie wasn’t on that tight, but the game had already started and I wanted to try to do this as best I could. Because me and being quiet really wasn’t a combination that went well together.

  “Slide back on the bed. Get right in the middle.”

  I scooched back until I was in the spot and then stretched out. My nipples were already hard and my pussy was wet from my eagerness. I’d been dreaming about this, about being with him again for days now. With the moment finally here, I didn’t know if I could wait a second longer to feel him against me.

  Unfortunately, Harrison didn’t have the same game plan that I did. He walked around to the side of the bed, took my hand, and stretched out my arm. He then moved around to the other side, looking at me the entire time, and repeated the action with my other arm. Moving around to the foot of the bed, he adjusted my feet so I now resembled some human-shaped starfish.

  A month ago, this position would have made me feel embarrassed, exposed, more naked than I already was. But not now, not with him. The only thing I could think about was Harrison and wanting him to touch me, to lick me, to make me come so hard that I forgot I wasn’t supposed to make a noise.

  Harrison returned to the foot of the bed to look down at me. Lifting his finger to his lips, a reminder not to make a noise, he quietly half-laid on the bed so his face was hovering above my pussy. He leaned in and kissed the inside of first one, then the other of my thighs. His breath came out in a hot rush, which set my body shivering.

  The kiss of his tongue against the dip between my body and leg almost had me moaning from the headiness. Instead, I bit down on his tie and hoped he didn’t want this back. He shifted his face and repeated the kiss on the other side, before he trailed up, kissing across my hip and to the bottom of my ribcage. I tried to squirm
away, but his hands held me still. I was forced to grip the duvet cover, squeezing it between my fingers as though my life depended on it.

  Harrison continued to tease me. Kissing the underside of my breasts. Licking the space where my cleavage would be if my breasts weren’t splayed apart. Kissing just below my armpit, which almost caused me to giggle. I kicked my feet on the mattress, a silent demand to get on with it. He ignored me, continuing taking inventory of my body.

  He sucked on my nipple lazily, flicking the tip with his tongue in a manner that was more loving than arousing. It wasn’t until he switched breasts and took the dampened peak between his forefinger and thumb that the real pleasure started. He pinched and rolled it, the pleasure coming from it slowly at first, building as the minutes moved on. I began to buck my hips, wanting him to lick me, fuck me, anything that would help me come.

  He didn’t.

  After a torturous amount of time, he started to make his way back down the other side of my body, mirroring every kiss he’d made on the way up. He added a few extra licks and kisses for good measure, especially when he returned to my belly. He paid extra attention to my belly button, licking around the hole several times, before he finally started kissing a trail down to my pubic hair.

  Rather than simply head right for my clit, Harrison lowered his nose to the thick patch that covered my pubis, and breathed me in. I’d done that to him before, loving the way his natural scent made everything seem that much more real in my head. The coarse strands moved the skin beneath as he played, the area becoming more and more sensitive with each passing second.

  I loved it.

  I hated it.

  I really was going to scream if he didn’t get on with it soon.

  I might have sighed when he shifted down lower and reached up with his hands to expose my clit through the hair that protected it. His thumbs parted all that was in the way, until the air kissed at the heated skin. I looked down and my heart melted a bit at the look of joy on his face before he leaned in and covered my clit with his mouth.

  At first, he didn’t lick, just sucked. The pressure grew stronger the longer he continued on. As the pressure increased, so did the pleasure. I pressed my hips up, forcing my pussy hard against his mouth, hoping he’d give me what I wanted. It must have worked, because the next thing I knew he began to flick my clit with his tongue.

  The whole keeping-silent thing was getting really difficult. I squeezed my eyes shut as my body tensed. I was so on edge, so aroused, I didn’t know if I was actually going to be able to come. Was it possible to be too horny? Maybe. But in the end, this wasn’t the way I wanted to feel my release. I reached down and tugged at his head, motioning him to come up.

  I wanted him inside me when I came. I wanted to enjoy the sensation of his cock sliding in and out of my body, of having his hands hold me as I rode him. Yes, that was the image I couldn’t get out of my head.

  Ignoring his frown, I pushed him to the side and started to climb on top. When he understood what I was trying to do, he smiled and went onto his back willingly. I grabbed a condom from the nightstand where he’d so wisely put a box, and rolled it down his shaft. Unlike him, I wasn’t capable of teasing caresses. I threw my leg over him, positioned his head at my opening, and sank down until we were joined together.

  Fuck. Me.

  My clit came into contact with hot skin, sweat forming on us both already. The duvet was soft under my knees, making it a comfortable ride. Bracing my hands on his chest, I lifted my hips, slowly rising up the length of his shaft, before falling back down into place. Harrison sucked a breath in through his nose and gritted his teeth. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.

  Again I rose and fell on him. Then again. And again and again until I thought I might lose my mind. Each time my clit kissed his body, my pussy tightened around his cock. His hands tightened around my hips, his nails digging into my skin, encouraging me to go again. We continued this little dance, the rhythm and speed increasing on each thrust. My breasts swayed with the motion, my nipples tingling, wanting to be touched, tasted. I leaned forward, pleaded with my eyes for him to do just that. His eyes were closed, so I leaned up as much as I could to hit his chin with my breast.

  He smiled and without opening his eyes, did what I wanted.

  I had to bite the damp silk of the tie to stop from moaning. I missed making noise. Missed begging and pleading, and moaning and sighing. But as much as those things aroused and stimulated, the quiet had an appeal of its own. I was able to hear the sounds of our lovemaking. Hear the beat of his heart when I lowered my head to his chest. The smell of our arousal and sweat made my mouth water. Even the feel of his hands on my body, his tongue on my breast was amplified. This was possession of a different kind.

  We owned each other.

  My body was close to release and I wanted to squeeze every last bit from it that I could. I started grinding down on his cock, forcing his body to rub my clit until I knew there was no going back. I wanted to keep playing the game, keep the noises bottled up as much as possible. I doubled my lips over, biting on them from the top and bottom at the same time. The air I sucked through my nose wasn’t coming fast or deep enough. I grew light-headed, which only served to intensify the rising pleasure.

  The first waves of my orgasm snuck up on me. I was surprised by them, not even having a chance to tighten my muscles. My hips stuttered on my next downstroke, which had Harrison opening his eyes. The look of surprise on his face was only fleeting, because in the next moment the next wave of my orgasm forced my eyes shut and every muscle in my body to contract. I bit down hard on the tie in my mouth, not quite able to contain my orgasmic scream. It was a low, guttural noise, primal even. Not something that would normally come from me.

  As the waves seemed to go on, I felt him tense below me. His hands flexed on my hips, holding me still. I was too weak to argue and let him do what he needed. He fucked hard, slamming into me with a force that nearly blasted another orgasm from my exhausted body. All I could do was look down and watch his face contort with pleasure as he came. The tendons in his neck bulged and his face flushed as he tried to stop his own cries. With a final powerful thrust up, Harrison collapsed back onto the mattress and silently pulled me down to rest on his chest.

  Once we’d recovered, he reached up and took the already loose tie from around my mouth. I had to swallow a few times, and wiped the lingering drool that had gathered at the edges of my mouth on his chest.

  “Sorry about the tie. That’s pretty much ruined.”

  “I’ll add it to the sex kit. We can use it again.”

  I loved the fact that there would be more times. “Good idea. Think they heard us?”

  “No doubt. The bed was squeaking.”

  “Was it?” Clearly, I was more out of it than I realized. “Oh well.”

  He wrapped his arms a little more securely around my body. “Alyssa?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I really want to tell you something. But I’m not sure if it’s too soon or not.”

  I lifted my head so I could look him in the eyes. “If it’s what I hope it is, then no, it’s not too soon.”

  “I didn’t want to get into another relationship after my marriage ended. I didn’t want to get into a rebound and end up hurting the other person.” He brushed my hair from my forehead. “But sometimes things don’t go the way we anticipate. And love comes when we’re not expecting it.”

  Tears were in my eyes even as my heart pounded.

  “Alyssa, I love you. I want to stay here in Toronto with you.”

  “I love you, too,” I whispered. I had to clear my throat before I could continue. “What about your job? Will they let you transfer here?”

  “I don’t care. If they don’t, I have more than enough contacts in the area. More than a few have already offered me a position if I ever decided to relocate.”

  “Really? This is really going to happen?” My grin was so wide it hurt my cheeks.

  “It is.
If you’ll have me.”

  “Oh yes. You’re stuck with me now.” I laid my head back down on his shoulder with a sigh. “Stuck like glue.”

  “That’s good. Because I think we still have a few more of those cards to get through.”

  It was funny, but the idea of going through them had started to lose some of the appeal. “You know what? How about we make up some cards of our own. Something that both of us want to try.”

  The fingers that had been playing with my hair paused mid-twirl. “Really?”

  “Yeah.” He kissed the top of my head. “By the way.”

  “Yes?”

  “You can call me Lyssa if you want.”

  33

  The graveyard was awash in sunlight. The buzz of a lawn mower chattered away in the distance, competing with the sounds of a minister conducting a service not far away. Gravel crunched beneath my feet as I made the long walk toward Rob’s plot. It was no longer one of the newer graves, the grass having been there long enough for it to be even with the rest and a part of the surroundings.

  My steps slowed as I drew closer to my destination. It wasn’t that I hated coming here, or that it was a reminder of my own mortality, but it was that rising emptiness that came every time I saw his name etched in the stone.

  I placed the bouquet that I’d brought into the small stone vase that was a part of the base. Rob had never been much of a flower guy, but he’d insisted on the vase, knowing it was something that I’d want to do. It was. Just another way that he was still helping me out.

  “Hey.” I knelt down and picked at some of the grass that had grown too close to the stone. “I miss you. And I still love you.”

  I’d finally come to terms that I could still love Rob without it having an impact on my growing love for Harrison. Love wasn’t an either-or situation. It was a limitless entity that grew in strength the more it was shared.

  “So these damn things.” I pulled the sex cards from my pocket and held them out in front of the grave. “These turned out to be a good idea. I know you said that I shouldn’t hook up with the first guy who I met. I know you said I really shouldn’t fall in love with that person either. That I should take some time to get to know myself and what I want.”