by J. M. Madden
“Do you mind watching the news for a while?” she asked as she handed the plate over.
Matt shook his head. He didn’t care what they did as long as he was with her.
Gina filled her own plate, then curled up in the corner of the couch with the plate resting on her folded knees. Matt tried not to stare but she was just too cute. The scrubs were gone, replaced by soft black jogging pants and a t-shirt which hugged her breasts. It was an effort to drag his eyes away from her shape to watch the flat-screen above the fireplace. The news droned on about chaos in the Middle-East, but he really didn’t pay attention to it. The subtle movements of Gina’s body to the left of him were driving him insane. Shoving a huge piece of crust in his mouth, he tried to concentrate on the screen. And almost choked on the giant knot of dough. Chugging the pop, he forced the obstruction down.
It seemed like Gina was doing her best to distract him. She kept making these little mewling sounds as she enjoyed her pizza and other sounds when she saw something distressing on the TV. He kept the plate over his lap in the hopes to disguise the constant hard-on he had, imagining the sounds applied to some other task. Forcing himself to watch the news, he tried to concentrate on Brian William’s words.
The news was depressing, of course; a hurricane skirting Florida, another bank in trouble with mortgages. At the end of the show was an article about the correlation between paternal alcoholism being passed from fathers to sons. Great, another reason to hate Rick.
And another reason to stay away from Gina. He would not see her end up like his mother had, bruised and bleeding and eventually walking out the door. Rick’s rages had come on suddenly, out of nowhere sometimes. Matt couldn’t remember ever being unable to restrain his own anger in a situation, but he knew the Calvin volatility ran strong in his blood. Rick had always talked about heritage when he’d gone into rages, and Matt knew it wasn’t something that could just be brushed aside and avoided. Gina’s well-being was worth more to him than his own pleasure. He was a selfish ass to even be talking to her, let alone spending time with her like this.
The problem was, his desire to do right by Gina and his desire to be like a normal person with a normal life were at cross-purposes.
Gina shifted forward enough to set her plate on the table.
“That was really good, Matt. I love pizza. And Carlino’s--” she motioned to the box top, “--has the best around here.”
“Yes, they do. They’ve been around as long as I can remember.”
Gina looked at him in surprise. “That long? Wow. I mean, I’ve seen the signs at the restaurant, but I didn’t realize the ‘three generations’ was true.”
Matt shoved the last bite in his mouth and set the plate aside. “It is,” he mumbled.
A sudden flash of memory made him close his eyes as he swallowed. His father had ordered a pizza from there once. Matt had been about ten, then. The mouth-watering smell had pulled him out from his room and down the stairs, to the doorjamb of the living room. He’d peeked around the jamb, hoping, praying for some nibble. It had been a long time since he had eaten anything. His father saw him as he crept up, and those cunning, bloodshot eyes had known what he planned to do. Rick pulled the pizza box onto his lap and ate every single God-damned piece inside. When he was done, he flung the box at Matt, clipping him in the side of the head. Matt was too hungry to care, though, and had run back to his room, box in hand, and peeled the melted cheese off the cardboard. Hell, he’d even eaten some of the cardboard. It was delicious.
A soft hand on his shoulder reminded him where he was, and when. Gina had shifted closer, and smiled at him in gentle concern. “You okay? You kind of zoned out there for a bit and got this really strange look on your face.”
Matt clenched his jaw and forced himself to swallow through his tight throat. “I’m fine,” he growled.
Gina pulled her hand away and started to scoot back, and Matt cursed himself for snapping at her. He caught her hand in his. “Don’t.” Pull away, he finished to himself, but he didn’t dare say it to her. Shaking his head, he looked away from her caring eyes. “Don’t mind me, just be comfortable.”
Relaxing back into the middle cushion, she tightened her hold when he started to pull away and turned his hand over in her lap. The tips of her casted fingers ran over a splinter in his hand he hadn’t taken the time yet to dig out, and she tsk’ed at him. “This looks painful.”
It was, but he didn’t say anything. The pain was so every day and inconsequential that he hardly noticed them anymore. When he tugged at his hand again, she released him, but she didn’t move back to her side of the couch. Instead, she turned her body, crossed her legs and returned her attention to the TV.
Matt’s whole left side was prickling with heat from her body. His erection was harder than ever. She had to know what she was doing to him, but she seemed unconcerned. He turned his head to the screen and tried to lose himself.
An elbow bumped him in the side. “Reach over there and push the button on the side of the couch. There’s a recliner at both ends.”
Matt pressed the button, and his booted feet flipped up in the air.
“Now scoot those big lugs over.”
Gina raised her tiny socked feet next to his on the foot rest.
For the first time in his life, Matt felt like he belonged somewhere. It wasn’t true, of course, but from the outside looking in they would look like a regular couple, just cuddling on the couch and watching the tube after work. Gina got up at one point to use the bathroom, and when she came back, he automatically raised his arm to hold her to his side. She paused for a long second, obviously surprised at the invitation, and he started to lower his arm in embarrassment at what he had done. But she stopped his movement and snugged herself in to his side.
“Oh, this is much more comfortable,” she murmured.
And he agreed.
For an hour and a half they watched TV that way, prolonging the night as long as they could. They watched one show after another, taking turns on choices. When the game shows were on, Gina blurted out answers and laughed good-naturedly when they were wrong. Matt preferred more informational programs and was fascinated by an old ‘Extreme Home Makeover’ with a large Victorian.
“That kind of looks like my house,” he admitted.
“Really?” Gina asked, ashamed that she didn’t even know if he lived nearby or in town.
Matt nodded and sat up straighter on the cushion.
“Big old thing with so much decorative filigree I dread having to paint it every year.”
Gina was surprised he offered the information. It seemed like everything she learned she had to drag out of him.
“Is it in good shape?” she asked.
Matt nodded and eased back against the cushions. “Surprisingly good condition considering the neglect it’s been through.”
“Is it your family home?” she dared to ask.
Matt was quiet for a long moment. “No, it was just a house I bought after Rick died. I grew up in apartments and rentals for the most part.”
Gina hummed softly in her throat. “A house was probably a big adjustment after that, then, huh? All that space, deciding how you wanted to decorate.”
Matt snorted in laughter and looked down at her. “I don’t know a thing about decorating. I just bought what I liked. But yes, it was a big adjustment.”
Gina rolled her head against his bicep. “I remember when I bought this house a few years ago. It needed work, but I didn’t care. It was my first house and I wanted to do so much with it. Still do.” One hand waved toward the kitchen. “I want to renovate the kitchen next. I’ve done my bedroom and bathroom upstairs, and I had a blast doing it. I need to landscape outside more, too.”
“I think you’ve done a great job so far. I liked the look of the place when I first brought you home.”
Matt’s voice rumbled deliciously beneath her ear, and her heart warmed at his praise. “Thank you.”
They quieted down afte
r that, and Gina shifted to get more comfortable. Turning more on her side, she dared to reach her arm across his flat belly. Matt was flipping channels at the time, but he paused when she moved. It seemed to Gina that they both held their breath for a long moment, before they settled into one another again. Matt’s heavy arm rested against her back, pulling her closer, and it was incredibly arousing.
Matt stopped at a movie on HBO she had never seen before. The story was interesting and ended up being a love story. Gina could tell there was a love scene coming, and her heart began to pound. Would Matt leave it on or change the channel?
He left it on. Through her own heartbeat, she could tell he was affected as well. His breathing had accelerated, and his arm had tightened behind her back. His hand was open, and he was making gentle movements against her skin with his big fingers. Gina realized her own fingers moved along the ridges of his tight belly.
Heat began to build in Gina’s tummy. In spite of what she’d told him earlier about remaining friends, she wanted that deep, abiding connection with him. Matt was leery of commitment, she got that, but she couldn’t help wanting more from him.
Looking up at him from beneath her lashes, she saw he was fascinated by what was on the screen. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were focused intently on the actors. Glancing down, she saw the erection straining the fly of his jeans. Wetness pooled between her legs, and her breasts tingled.
On the screen, the actors were kissing heavily, and the man was stripping off the woman’s shirt. He mounded her breasts with his hands and ripped away her bra.
Matt swallowed heavily and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.
“I, uh, think I need to turn this off,” he mumbled. He pointed the remote at the screen. The images went silent, and it magnified how turned on they were and the noises they were making.
Gina took a deep breath to try to calm herself and was surprised when Matt jerked beside her. When she looked up in question, Matt was staring at her breasts from beneath lowered lids. She must have rubbed them against him.
He made a move to get up, but Gina tightened her arm on him. “Hold on, Matt. I think we need to talk about this a minute.”
Matt growled deep in his throat and shuddered. “I don’t.”
Gina had a split second to decide what to do before he pushed her away, so she moved her hand down to rest on his erection. It was as much of a shock for her as it was for him, and she couldn’t believe she’d actually done it.
My god, he’s huge.
Matt stilled completely and his eyes slammed shut. Gina squeezed gently and let her fingers span his width. The hard length made her breathing accelerate as she imagined what he would do with all that power. Would he be an aggressive lover or a gentle, slow lover? In her mind’s eye, she could see them making love anywhere and everywhere, and that desire urged her to move her hand and unbutton his fly. Matt panted as her fingers manipulated the closure, but he let her do it. The top button gave her a bit of problem, because she only worked with her left hand, but a sharp tug and a gasp from Matt got it free.
Gina moved to her knees, with her casted hand resting on the back of the couch. Matt looked at her as she shifted, and Gina was surprised at the vulnerability she saw in his face. The expression in his eyes was almost sad.
“Gina, you need to be sure this is what you want,” he whispered. “I can’t promise you anything other than a quick screw. I’m just not built for long term.”
She tried not to let the pain his words caused show. Smiling, with the promise of sex in her eyes, she burrowed her hand into the opening of his jeans to cradle him gently. “One day at a time, Matt,” she reminded him.
His somber eyes stared at her for a long minute, as if he knew she just said what he wanted to hear, but he didn’t challenge her on it. Gina squeezed to remind him what she was doing, and was gratified to see him swallow heavily.
Unable to help herself, she looked down at what she held.
Matt liked plain old tighty-whiteys, which Gina thought was endearing. His jeans were folded to the sides, and the erection that stretched the cotton was absolutely mouth-watering. Her hand only covered a portion of what she could see. Her touch eminently gentle, she squeezed up the length of him with her thumb and two fingers. At the waistband, the head of his cock had pushed away from the restraint. Glancing at Matt for permission, Gina tugged the tight elastic down and bared him to view.
Gina had never seen a man as big as Matt, even as a nurse. The depth and breadth of his body carried through everywhere, and Gina felt a flash of worry at the thought of all that man inside her. Quickly washing the worry away was her stunning flash of need to hold him between her legs. She shifted restlessly, feeling the moisture her body was releasing.
Matt watched her with narrowed eyes as she fisted his erection and pumped her fist lightly. His chest bellowed, and his cock flushed a lurid purple. Moisture glinted from the slit at the tip, and Gina ran her thumb over it.
Matt’s hips surged into her hand. Gina gasped and tightened her fist, sliding the thin outer skin along the hardness beneath. His lips were drawn back from his teeth in a grimace, and he stared at her as if he had never seen her before.
Abruptly, he pulled her hand away. Twisting in the seat, he urged her to her feet. Gina did as she was directed, more clumsily than normal. Snapping the foot rest shut, Matt centered her in front of him. For a long time, he didn’t do anything but hold her there and pant. Gina’s knees quivered as she waited. Desire rolled off of her in waves, and she knew the slightest touch against her clit would set her off. She had had other lovers, and been pleasured well, she thought. But Matt’s gentle need had her more aroused than any man ever had before.
With a sigh, he rested his forehead against her belly as if his emotions were too much for him. It was the most natural thing in the world for Gina to burrow her fingers into his hair and hold him to her. For several long seconds, he held her that way, before his fingers started to flex. They rubbed against her gently, feeling the cotton sweatpants against her skin. Raising his head, Matt shaped his hands to her hips. Gina had never felt more womanly, more voluptuous, than when he ran his hands gently up and down her thighs. Those hands spanned her waist, and for the first time Gina felt almost small. Thumbs at her hem rubbed suggestively, before his fingers slid up her torso. He stopped at the bottom edge of her bra, teasing.
Gina knew her eyes were dazed as she looked down at him, wondering why he had stopped. Matt apparently needed her to watch him as he wedged his hands beneath her underwire and cupped her breasts in his hands. Her nipples were abraded by his rough worker’s fingers, and Gina had never felt anything so delicious. Even as the elastic bit into her back, the touch on her nipples drove her hotter.
Matt moved too slowly, though. Crossing her arms at her belly, she whipped off the shirt. A twist of her fingers and the bra followed.
Matt’s face slackened with lust as his eyes zeroed in on her unbound breasts, then suddenly hardened.
“I was trying to go slow for you, Gina.”
Pulling her headband off her head, she shook her hair free. “I don’t want slow right now,” she whispered. Deliberately, taking her courage in hand, she wedged her thumbs in the waistband of her sweats and shoved them to the floor, along with her soaked panties. Stepping out of them, she stood before him proudly.
Matt lunged to his feet and pulled her to him. He cradled her head in his broad hand and kissed her fiercely. His other hand glided down her body to the apex of her thighs. Teasingly, he tickled her hair for several long moments before easing a wide finger between her lips. He glided easily, and chuckled against her mouth at the feel of her body’s readiness. Angling his finger upwards, he plunged it into her cunt, grinding the heel of his hand to her clit at the same time.
Gina screamed into his mouth as she came. Her legs spasmed, and if it hadn’t been for his other arm that encircled her waist, she would have fallen as she panted through her orgasm. Her eyes fluttere
d shut, and she clutched his shirt as aftershocks coursed through her body.
Matt removed his hand, and Gina gasped at that last faint touch. When she looked up at him, he had a smirk on his face that was so out of character, it made her stare. “What?” she asked indignantly. “It’s been a while.”
His lips spread in a broad grin, and he raised his wet finger to his mouth. He licked the tip and let his lids fall shut as he savored the flavor.
Gina almost fainted at the look of his unrestrained passion. The incident on the stairs was nothing compared to the heat that had built between them in the few days they’d been apart.
With one hand, she started to unbutton his shirt. The little disks did not want to cooperate. Shoving her hand underneath his shirt, she ran her hand over his pectorals and down his abs. A slight trail of hair led her back to the head of his weeping cock. Pushing his underwear away impatiently, Gina cradled his testicles gently before running her hand up his length. Fisting him, she ran her thumb over the head repeatedly. He needed to be as off kilter as she was.
Matt suddenly groaned. Both hands reached down to tug up his pants long enough to grab a wallet out of the back pocket and fumble a condom out of it. As quickly as he could, he rolled it down over himself. Hard hands then cradled her ass and lifted her straight up as if she weighed nothing. Wedging his hips between her thighs, he adjusted her legs around his sides. Gina flung her arms around his massive shoulders to hang on. Matt used their proximity to press his lips to hers again, and this time Gina controlled the movement. Angling her mouth, she pressed and pulled with all the enthusiasm inside her. Slipping her tongue inside, she caressed the soft inner tissue of his mouth. She stilled completely as she felt the tip of his cock at her sopping wet entrance.
For several endless seconds, he played in her moisture there, taunting her with what was to come. Gina rotated her hips in his hands, trying to reach him. Her body was demanding another release, and his straining cock told her how very ready he was as well.
