PeakExperience

by Rachel Kenley

  He stared at her then and she couldn’t look away. She knew he wasn’t talking about art anymore. Keeping her business open was the first thing she’d fought for in a long time, but it wasn’t about the passion and desire he was talking about. His drive was motivated by love, hers from fear.

  Lena didn’t want to think anymore. She wanted to act on all the feelings she’d been having since the car ride. Without another word she left her seat and sat in his lap. Taking his face in her hands she kissed him passionately. She wasn’t aware of the night chill until her body warmed him. He grabbed her around the waist and crushed her against him. She wanted to be something worth fighting for, no matter how the idea scared her. She threaded her hands through his hair, and loved feeling him shiver beneath her.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he said. He kissed her neck, behind her ear, then moved to the opening at the top of her shirt as he breathed in the soft, floral scent of her skin. “I want you naked and spread beneath me.” He put one arm under her legs and one around her back and stood, lifting her with ease. “Where’s your room?”

  All she wanted was to touch him and be touched. Following through on desire made her feel powerful. “Top floor, turn right, first door on the left,” she said between kisses.

  She loved the way he was able to carry her without breaking his stride all while continuing to devour her mouth with his. For the first time she didn’t feel small or intimidated next to the strength of another.

  The sun was setting through the western windows, casting the room in a pink-orange glow. He was at her bed in two steps and a breath later they were in the center of the mattress wrapped in each other. It was not a day for slow caresses or gentle exploration. They removed each other’s clothes in a frenzy, wanting to be naked as soon as possible. The moment his skin touched hers, she moaned. She craved the heat of him, needed to have him against her.

  His hand went to her pussy as hers went to his cock. She found him hard and knew she was wet for him. When his finger plunged into her she arched against him, breaking the kiss to cry out with the pleasure of it.

  “You love the feel of my fingers deep inside your pussy, don’t you?” he asked.

  The blatant words added a thrill to his actions as he pushed in farther. It was language she’d thought, read and heard, but not something she’d ever said. Talking this way never felt comfortable in the past, but with Daniel she was able to take more risks, allow more freedom. “Yes, God, yes.”

  He stopped his kisses and gazed at her. “Tell me what you want.”

  His eyes searched hers with an intensity she could not turn away from, could not lie to. “I want you to touch me,” she said.

  “Where?”

  She moaned as he stroked her with the barest of touches.

  “Where, Lena?” he asked louder. “Tell me or I’ll stop.”

  “My clit,” she said, the words foreign and strange to her tongue, yet exciting. “I need you to touch my clit and make me come.”

  “And should I use my fingers or my mouth?”

  “Oh God, Daniel.” His words were making her hotter.

  “How about both?”

  “Yes, please, both. I want everything.”

  He wasted no time moving down her body, pulling her legs apart and placing his mouth on her. She grabbed at the covers and moaned, opening herself.

  “That’s it, Lena,” he said against her sensitive skin. “Spread your legs for me. Let me lick all of you.”

  His words continued to inflame her but paled in comparison to the sensation of his mouth teasing her labia while his fingers slid slowly and deeply inside her. She could feel herself building to a crescendo faster than she was used to. Her whole body was straining for what was coming. “Daniel, you’re driving me crazy.”

  “Good,” he said, pulling her legs over his shoulders increasing his contact on her pussy. She didn’t think he could intensify what he was doing to her, but she was wrong. Her hands clutched the sheets. A rush of wetness she couldn’t control made her shiver. “Yes, Lena, let me taste you.”

  Again he surprised her with how he loved her responses. A part of her was still waiting for the critical comments, but each time they didn’t happen, more of her healed and grew stronger. And her passion grew as well. She craved, wanted, and Daniel was ready to give her exactly what she needed.

  As one finger began to tease the opening of her ass, slippery from her juices running down, his tongue focused on her clit and another finger entered her tight pussy. There was no stopping her climax, which centered out from where he was stroking her and captured her body in wave after wave of glorious release.

  “God yes, Daniel, yes,” she yelled. Nothing other than “yes” or “oh” was possible after as she surrendered to the hard contractions coursing through her. When she could manage more than a single syllable she said, “Tell me you have a condom in your wallet.”

  “I have a condom in my wallet, and my wallet’s in my pants.”

  “Get it. Now.”

  He laughed deeply. “I like it when you’re demanding.”

  “Then I demand you get back here and fuck me.” She heard the words, but could hardly believe she said them. Before she could think, however, he was in bed again, condom on.

  “Get on your knees, Lena.”

  She was turning over without a second thought. It was thrilling to surrender to her needs and his demands simultaneously. She’d never been this aroused. He reached around and stroked her clit, and she didn’t consider holding back the moan. “More, Daniel. I don’t want to wait.”

  “But what if I want you to?”

  “Later. Another time. Please.”

  “Another time then.” He teased her entrance with the tip of his cock. “I have your word on that?”

  “Yes,” she said, trying to push back against him. He held her hips firmly in place.

  “Yes, what?”

  This was maddening. “Yes, another time you can go slowly, whatever you need, just take me.”

  “With pleasure,” he said, his voice husky with passion. He pulled her toward him hard and his cock was instantly sheathed inside her. “God, you’re so tight.”

  He felt full inside her as well. All of the time in the car trying to tighten herself against her arousal must have given her vaginal muscles a good workout because she felt stretched. She moved her hips in a grinding motion, accommodating more of him, and was rewarded with his groan.

  He reached around and stroked her clit again, bringing her arousal to a near boiling point. She was expecting him to use the other to caress her breasts. Instead he dipped one finger along her pussy, wetting it with her juices then moved it around to her ass and teased her there. She gasped at the unexpected and exciting sensation.

  “You like that, don’t you?” he asked, his voice a husky whisper.

  “Yes, I think.”

  “You think? If you can think,” he slid a finger partially inside her, “then I’m not doing something right.”

  “It’s not that,” she said haltingly, allowing the pleasure to help her become accustomed to the feel. “I’ve never done this before.”

  He paused in his movements. Clearly she surprised him. “No man has enjoyed the pleasure of taking your sweet ass before?”

  His words sent a ripple of breathless anticipation through her. It was something she thought about, even fantasized about during masturbation, but she had always been too shy to mention it with any of her lovers. “No, never.”

  “Then I’m going to have to change that for you.” She shivered, wiggling herself back on him, allowing his finger to slide in deeper. “And from your reaction, I would say it’s something you’re going to love.” He increased his movements on her clit. “You’d like it, wouldn’t you? My cock sliding slowly, deeply into your ass, stretching you in new ways while I continue to please your pussy with my fingers.”

  His actions mimicked his words and she could imagine how it would feel to have him there, deep wi
thin her, giving him something she never gave another man. The images flashing through her mind coupled with the pleasure he was causing was too much for her body to handle.

  “Daniel, I’m going to—”

  “Come, Lena. Come for me. Come with me.”

  Knowing he wanted it as much as she did was the final tipping point. She grabbed at the comforter under hands, pushed her hips back to take him as deeply as she could. He continued to play with her clit and her ass and she could feel his balls against the lips of her pussy. The climax slashed through her with a white-hot intensity, sending fire to every part of her body. As she screamed her release she noticed she wasn’t alone. Daniel’s voice echoed her pleasure and release.

  When her orgasm ebbed, it sapped all her energy and her elbows gave way. She collapsed, boneless, onto the bed, Daniel on top of her. They lay there not saying anything, both breathing rapidly. She wondered if his ears were ringing like hers were. She decided to ask him when she could form a sentence again.

  She didn’t know how long they stayed connected to each other, but eventually Daniel’s cock slid out of her body. He moved slowly off her and padded quietly to the bathroom. When she heard the flush, she knew he disposed of the condom. He came back quickly, pulled her into his arms and held her close.

  “We’re good at this breathless thing,” he said. He put his hand under her chin and kissed her softly but passionately.

  “Yes, we are,” she sighed with a smile.

  “I never thought I’d be glad this place is remote, but I’m relieved you don’t have any close neighbors. They might have called the cops on us.”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “At this point, I don’t think the wildlife will come near the camp tonight. I’m always surprised by how completely I respond with you, to you.”

  “I could say the same thing about you, my sweet. You’re reactions are so exciting they push me over.”

  Once again, a part of her heart softened. He found her responsive and exciting, not cold and unreachable. Maybe if he saw her that way, it could be true.

  But would an older, more experienced partner see her that way? Daniel was so young, and didn’t have much to compare her to. No matter how wonderful he was, she couldn’t allow herself to forget he was so much younger than she and his opinion of her was influenced by that as well as the crush he’d had on her years ago.

  Besides, she expected this only to be a fling, right? Something to get her juices going, as Michelle said, before she moved on to a real relationship. He wasn’t someone she could get serious about. She wasn’t cut out to live the artistic life her parents chose.

  The thought didn’t make her feel better.

  What if she stayed with him? That didn’t lead to any comforting views either. By the time he was her age, he might decide he’d made a mistake in choosing someone older. She’d be in her fifties and what would people say about them then?

  As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted a normal life, one others would see as normal as well. She’d had enough of being considered weird as a kid with parents who didn’t fit the mold. She didn’t want a relationship where people would wonder why she didn’t choose a man closer to her own age. As she fell asleep, she was still wondering that herself.

  Chapter Seven

  Lena loved the west-facing windows of her room in the Great House because it meant no pesky sunlight waking her early in the morning. Since she was the only girl in the family, her parents finished the attic space for her as two rooms. One, with the western and northern windows, was her bedroom. With the exception of exchanging her twin bed for a queen, and taking the stuffed animals out, it looked as it did when she summered here.

  She used the second room with its eastern and northern windows as a playroom when she was younger and as an artist studio as an adult. It was her private sanctuary with plenty of space and wonderful lighting, both natural and electrical. Fortunately her parents believed strongly in privacy and needing personal space, so no one in the family came there, even when she was away.

  This morning she woke slowly and stretched pleasantly sore muscles into rousing. She was getting used to the way her body felt after sex with Daniel, and she liked it. A lot. Last night was simultaneously rough and tender, both of them needing to express themselves, both of them needing the other to accept them. Lena never knew sex could be so filled with connection. Not even in her marriage did she experience this. She did it to please the other person and for her own enjoyment. Feeling as though she was communicating with her partner through sex was new.

  And wonderful.

  She rolled over to reach for Daniel but discovered she was alone with a note where she thought he would be. “Gone jogging. Coffee made. Want you again. D.” It was hard to know what was better—that he wanted her, or that he made certain coffee was waiting for her downstairs. She decided since she couldn’t have him at the moment, she was going with the next best thing.

  Putting on an oversized t-shirt and lounge pants, she headed barefoot to the kitchen as if guided like a cartoon character on the waves of the enticing smell. It was a wonderful way to be greeted—a freshly brewed pot of heaven. She could have used a kiss, too, but it was available later.

  A full bottle of hazelnut creamer was in the refrigerator from their shopping trip. She added it to her drink, took a sip and sighed contentedly, loving the taste. Lingering over morning coffee was one of her favorite treats when she was here, along with not having to get dressed in anything more confining than sweatpants. Normally, her days were completely unscripted and totally her own.

  Not this time. As she continued to enjoy her coffee and bit into a blueberry muffin, she considered how to manage her day. Maybe working alone in her studio would help her come up with something new, something that wasn’t possible when they were collaborating in a small office space. He might be curious about what she was doing, but she didn’t think he would push to see her work if she didn’t offer. He understood the creative process.

  She thought of her art, sitting covered in her studio upstairs. Maybe there was some inspiration there, although the thought of sharing that made her nervous. What she produced here wasn’t something she showed to anyone. It was part of why she found it easy to create. Once she started picturing an audience, her inspiration drained away like an unplugged bathtub.

  Lena refilled her mug and left a note on the kitchen island for Daniel. Thanks for the coffee. Hope you had a good run. Going to work on my own and see what comes up. See you at lunchtime. L. She should probably tell him where she was but she didn’t want to be found, at least for the next several hours.

  She took the supplies she brought from the living room to the studio and then came down for her coffee and another muffin. Back in the room she raised the shades and let in the morning light, which she was finally ready for.

  Dust particles floated in the beams of sun as brightness fell on objects left in the dark for nearly a year. Carefully she removed drop cloths and plastic covers off easels, her drawing table and other supplies she stored here. Lastly, she uncovered a luxurious divan and smiled. It was her favorite piece of furniture, a modern version of an old-fashioned fainting couch, although sturdier and more comfortable. Ever since she was a kid she wanted one and it was something she, surprisingly, never outgrew. When she saw it in a magazine in a deep eggplant color she ordered two, one for home and one for here.

  As her projects were uncovered she sensed a shift within herself, an easing. Lena would never tell her mother this, but she missed living as an artist, giving herself over to whatever means of expression was necessary to create. She worked in photographs, oils, cut paper—whatever inspired her. Here there were no limits, no restrictions. It was her piece of paradise. She hoped she would find the inspiration she needed.

  * * * * *

  Daniel had left a sleeping Lena and now stretched his legs against the steps and railing of the Grand House’s porch. It was a crisp morning and he was looking forward to runni
ng through the camp, seeing what changed, what was still the same. One thing was very different. The woman who would be waiting for him back at the house.

  He started down the path and smiled when he saw the art cabin a few yards in front of him. Turning left, he passed the radio station’s shack and the path leading to the all-purpose building, before heading down the dirt lane lined on both sides by the girls’ cabins. He remembered a time when he, and every boy in his bunk, would have given almost anything to have access to those oversized rooms holding the mysterious creatures they were starting to notice. Of course, then he noticed Lena and none of the other teen girls compared.

  Being here was a surreal experience. He didn’t come for the reunions or keep in touch with any of the friends he made. The idea of being here alone with Lena was nearly impossible to comprehend. Years of dreaming couldn’t compare to being with her. He knew dreams were different from reality, but this reality was better than anything he pictured.

  He jogged past the soccer field, turned down to the archery area and then toward the lake. The temperature changed as he neared the water. Lena was right about swimming. It was too soon, too cold, to try out the water, which was definitely too bad. It would have been fun to skinny dip with her. Maybe after this project was over he’d offer to take her somewhere warm and tropical—and secluded. Thoughts of her luscious curves in a bikini, dripping wet from the ocean flashed through his mind. He hardened immediately and almost stumbled. He shook his head to clear the image. With that picture of Lena he would never be able to run.

  Daniel’s morning jogs were a time of peace for him, and since joining the track team in college, he rarely missed a day. When he did, he could feel it. His thoughts were disjointed, as if his brain were clogged.