Stephen watched her walk away, his body responding to the picture she presented. Her clothes fit her like a second skin. To take his mind off that part of his anatomy, he looked around her home. It was cozy. Light green, light blue, and yellow covered different walls in the room, and the molding and trim were white. Tiled floors were covered by equally colorful rugs, matching the colors on the walls. There were lots of framed posters anchored to the walls. Pictures covered most surfaces, her with her family, and he guessed with friends, all with faces smiling into the camera.
In the kitchen, Reye located a pitcher to put the flowers in. F.I.N.E described that man, fanning herself with her hand as she set about putting the flowers in a vase. He’d kept his attire casual, too— cargo shorts topped off with a blue polo that matched his eyes. He was her “Mr. Golden” all tall, lean, and sexy. She went back to join him in the living room.
“I like your home. You like color,” he said as she reentered the living room. He put heavy emphasis on the word color.
She laughed. “Is that a good or bad thing?” She smiled as she looked around her. “I do like color. It cheers me up, gives me energy. My Dad and I did most of the work on the house ourselves, including painting the walls with color. He gave me a hard time about it, too. You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I’m mean with a hammer and nails.” She paused. “I’ve got to finish some things up in the kitchen. Do you want to sit here or come with me? I’m almost done. I just need to finish cooking the noodles for the spaghetti,” she said.
“I’ll come with you, maybe I could help.”
The kitchen was like the rest of her home, neat, cozy, and, oddly enough, limited to one color, white. He looked around taking in the table which had been set with a white table cloth and white dinnerware. “Would you open the wine and pour a glass for us?” she asked as he stood looking over her space. She gave him the bottle, two glasses, and opener. She put the bread in the oven and took noodles out to drain and added the sauce. Stephen handed her a glass and she took a large gulp. “A little fortification,” she said. He laughed.
Reye placed the food on the table and they sat. She had gone out of her way to make this night special. She’d set the table with a table cloth and linen napkins her mother had given her when she moved in. She’d used her best and only china, more like Target-ware, but it worked. She added some candles on the table and throughout the house.
They ate in silence for a while.
“This is great, I’d thought pizza and beer, but this is so much better,” he said jokingly. “Really, thanks for inviting me.”
“Can you cook?”
“A few things. Breakfast is my best course. Maybe I’ll cook for you some time,” he said.
“Maybe,” she responded, not sure what to do with that statement. “Law school keeping you busy?”
“The last year is not as bad as the first two. The first year was mostly core courses. You get some choices in your second year, and, by the third year, you are pretty much primarily studying your area.”
“What is your area again?”
“My dad and gramps, and his dad before him, specialized in tax, personal trust, and estate law.”
“I remember you telling me that on the plane ride back. It sounds lucrative.”
“It can be, but sometimes it can be dull.”
“So why study it?”
“I like it. It’s easy and established. I’ll join the firm and continue in the family business. It does have its ancillary benefits, long lunches, schmoozing clients, and golfing expeditions.”
“Is that enough for you?”
“For now, anyway. I’m a simple man. I don’t have any major desire to work in any other field. Not looking to save anyone from lethal injections, plus it’s easy for me.” He looked over at her speculatively. “Why is it that we always end up talking about me? How about you? How are your classes?”
“School is school, but I’ve started working at one of the community centers here in town, and I’m starting to really like it.”
“You had some doubt?”
“Maybe,” she said a little pensively. “It’s working out better than I’d expected. As I’ve said before, school was always a struggle for me growing up. Out of the five of us kids, I had the most difficulty. Sam, the brother closest to me in age, also attends the university in the graduate school. He is in the psychiatry department. He, along with tutors, helped me get through a lot of the work as I grew up. You saw him at the game, remember?”
“Sure, the other forward?”
“Yep. Anyway, to make a long story short, I feel like I can make a difference at the center with the kids.” She paused. “Too altruistic sounding, huh?” She twirled the wine in her glass.
“Nothing wrong with altruism.” He placed his napkin on the table and leaned back in his chair. “That was good, better than some of the finer restaurants I’ve been to.”
“Yeah, right, very funny,” she said, the wine making her more relaxed. She gave him a slow, wide smile, her eyes lowering as she looked him over.
“No, no kidding, it was great,” Stephen said. She looked very relaxed sitting there, and way too sexy. They’d gone through a bottle of wine and were halfway through their second. “Before you get too relaxed, would you like me to help you clean up?”
“I don’t have much to do, just load the dishes into the dishwasher, put the food in the refrigerator.”
“Okay, how about you sit and continue to drink your wine, and I’ll put the dishes in the dishwasher for you.”
“I appreciate your looking out for me, but I’ll help. Maybe I can work off some of the effects of the wine.”
He smiled at that. “Is that really a good idea?”
She laughed. Feeling playful, she grabbed a towel from the holder and attempted to swat him with it. They worked together for a while. They talked as they worked. The conversation eventually turned to a recap of their previous soccer game. “You do know we are going to win the next game,” she continued, leaning back against the sink watching him load the last few dishes. “I was just taking it easy on you during the first game, you know that, right? I didn’t show you all my best moves.”
“Oh, yeah?” Stephen said with a smile in his voice. He stopped loading the dishwasher and turned to her. “You holding out on me? Other moves, huh? Show me?”
“Nope, I don’t want to strip away all of your confidence, leave you with no hope of winning.”
“You think you’re that capable?” He moved slowly toward her, a tiger stalking its prey, until he stood directly in front of her. Her eyes opened wide at his movement and he moved in closer still, so close that her breasts lightly touched his chest. “Show me what you’ve got,” he repeated, and all the laughter had disappeared.
He was serious; she could see it in his eyes. She also read hunger, a hunger that matched what must be visible in hers.
“I’ve been waiting since the party to be able to hold you again,” he said and put his hands on her hips and gripped them loosely. “I felt something that night that I need to figure out. I think you need to figure it out, too.”
“Maybe.”
He moved in for a kiss, which she met with an open mouth. This was not your garden-variety kiss, this one meant business. No more games. It turned hot fast. Both Reye and Stephen moved closer to each other. Her hands roamed his body, going under his shirt so she could feel his skin; she wanted badly to feel skin. He was equally hot. One of his hands moved to her breast while the other cupped her ass. He squeezed both at the same time, pushing his hips into hers so that she could feel him, could answer his silent question. She pushed her hips against his in answer.
“Where is your bedroom?” He asked the question with his lips against hers. She grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her. Inside the door of her bedroom, she turned and grabbed him for another kiss. They pulled and tugged at each other’s clothes. Shirts were discarded, and she reached for his shorts, stopping long enough to rub her
hand along his penis. She couldn’t resist. He groaned into her mouth. He helped her get rid of her clothes and she returned the favor. They now stood naked before each other, and he stopped to look his fill, marveling at the beauty of her body. He pulled her in close so that his body was flush against hers, and his hands could touch. God, he loved the way she felt, soft, smooth, and firm. He lowered his head for another openmouthed kiss while his hands moved to her breasts and he squeezed. He backed her to the bed until the back of her knees hit and they fell. He landed on her, but flipped them.
“There are condoms in my pocket,” he said. “I need to get them?”
“No, I’ve got some here.” She reached into the end table next to her bed and located her stash. She retrieved one, opened it, and rolled it on him. He watched her, his breathing heavy, as she then straddled him and slowly lowered herself, her eyes never leaving his. Impatient, his hips shot upward, meeting her. She could feel him shudder and she started to move. He pulled her forward for a kiss that was forceful. His arms locked around her waist, transforming into bands holding her as he moved her up and down to meet his thrusts.
He dictated the pace, and it was hard and fast at first. Holding her tight he flipped them over so that she was below him and he slowed, setting a determined, slow rhythm where he would pull completely out of her only to push back in, equally slow. He closed his eyes to fully concentrate on the slow glide in and out of her body. Reye loved the feel of him against her, the slide in and out, so full, so hard.
“Please,” she moaned against his mouth. He looked down at her.
“Please what, Reye?” His lips captured hers again and he kissed her to the rhythm of his thrust, slow and sure. He could feel her start to come and he slowed down even more.
“Please what, Reye?” he asked again. “What do you want?” he whispered to her as he glided in again, hard this time, and picked up his pace as she met him thrust for thrust as they both raced toward completion. They climaxed together, moaning into each other’s mouth at the intensity of their joining.
They lay afterward, him on top and inside her, finding their breath. He didn’t move, just lifted his head to stare down into her face. He knew it would be good, but the episode at the party had not prepared him for this. It was more than he’d imagined it could be. He pulled out, stood up, and removed and discarded the condom. He came back to bed, pulling Reye into his arms so she faced him as he lay on his side. He captured her face and kissed her lips softly, continuing to hold her.
They both fell asleep. Reye woke up much later and checked her clock on the nightstand. It was midnight and the lights were still on in the house. Stephen was asleep and she didn’t want to wake him. She moved away from him carefully. No worries there, as he hadn’t moved. She stood at the end of the bed looking at him. He was a beautiful naked male, sprawled on her bed, facedown, satisfied, and apparently dead to the world. This could be dangerous for her she thought. She didn’t want him to leave, and that scared her, too. Girl, just one time and you have lost your mind, ready to turn over yourself gladly for more. How many other women had felt this way about him? He told her he only wanted casual, he told her that at the party, but could she handle casual? What would she do to keep him, and what if that wasn’t enough? They were from different worlds, and not just in skin tone.
She grabbed his polo from the floor and pulled it over her head. It covered most of the important body parts. She walked through the kitchen and the living room, turning lights off as she went, making sure that the front door was locked. In the kitchen, she finished loading the dishwasher and started it. They’d gotten all but a few dishes loaded before they’d gotten sidetracked.
After her tasks were accomplished she went to the refrigerator for something to drink. She opened the door and stared inside, not really seeing the contents. She heard a small noise and felt Stephen‘s naked body at her back. He put his arms around her waist and rubbed his slightly rough cheek against hers. “What are we looking for?” he asked.
“Something to drink, I thought, but maybe not.” She turned into his arms, her own snaking around his waist. She just held him.
“You okay?” He pulled back to look into her face. “Don’t get serious on me, Reye,” he said, bringing her back in to his body.
“I’m okay, and I won’t,” she said. He grabbed her hand with one of his, pushing the refrigerator door closed with the other. He walked back to the bedroom, she trailing along behind him. Once inside, he reached for his shirt and lifted it up and over her head. His hands moved to cup her breasts, and he looked into her eyes, while his hand began to slowly circle the tips, causing her to gasp. Those wonderful hands slid up to cup her face and he kissed her, slowly at first and then more demanding, moving her back to bed. How was he able to just take over? Her body had a mind of its own, and apparently it now answered to his. All she wanted to do was just feel him, in her, touching her. He proceeded to make his claim on her in a way that no other before him had.
Chapter 6
Stephen awoke to the smell of coffee, taking a moment to get his bearings. He knew exactly where he was, Reye’s house, Reye’s bedroom, and, last night, Reye’s body. He allowed himself a few minutes to reflect on the events of the previous night. Somehow parts of his psyche knew what it would feel like with her. That was the part that had driven him to get here, and it had not disappointed. Sex with her had been incredible. After he’d found her in the kitchen with a too-serious expression on her face, he returned to her bedroom and he’d pushed and drove her relentlessly the remainder of the night. He hadn’t known that you could have sex with such intensity and abandon.
He sat up and looked around for his clothes. They were neatly stacked on a chair next to the door. He stood up, picked out his boxers from the stack, and put them on. He needed to find the bathroom fast. After using it, he finished getting dressed and took the new, unwrapped toothbrush and toothpaste that had been neatly laid out for him and brushed his teeth. He threw some water on his face and took a moment to look at himself. He was a little unnerved and unsure of his next move. Last night had turned more serious than he’d intended and he wasn’t anywhere near ready for that. Taking a deep breath, he headed to the kitchen.
Stephen entered the kitchen to find Reye leaning against the counter, a cup of coffee in her hand. He paused just inside the doorway and she looked up to see him.
I am not going to cling, I am going to be composed, Reye reminded herself. They’d agreed to keep things casual, although it now felt more than casual to her. She slept with him once, and, although it was incredible for her, it didn’t mean he was ready to meet the preacher. She needed to play it cool.
“Morning,” she said somewhat tentatively. “You must have been tired. I usually make breakfast for myself before I head out to class. This being Sunday, however, I usually go over to my parents for breakfast before going to church, but I overslept and missed it. So I’m going to stick around here all day. That was not an invitation, by the way,” she said quickly. Way too much information, she said to herself.
“Thanks, but if you don’t mind, I need to get home.”
“Sure, not a problem.” Reye moved through the kitchen to the living room to stand next to the front door with Stephen trailing her. At the door he paused. “I really had a great time last night. I’ll call you soon. Okay?”
“Sure.”
He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss goodbye.
* * *
Later on that afternoon, Stephen sat on the couch in his apartment, books spread out around him. The TV was on with the sound turned off while the Sunday football game played in the background. He stared at the game, but he was really watching last night’s events replay in his head. That had been all he’d been able to do since leaving Reye’s. Should he call? What would he say? He couldn’t explain to her what he wouldn’t admit to himself, that this could be about more than sex. His instincts regarding her being serious were spot on. He’d recognized that look, and s
o he’d played it cool and left.
Reye had dozed off and on throughout the morning, and who could blame her after last night? She sat in front of her TV, sprawled on the floor, totally not studying. She’d showered earlier after Stephen’s departure, putting on hand-me-down sweats from Sam and a t-shirt. She’d thought she could make use of her day by studying, but she’d ending up staring into space and reliving last night over and over again, examining every action for gold nuggets to tuck away in her mind for later. The ringing of the doorbell startled her and she went to see who it was. Looking through the peephole, she was surprised to find Stephen standing there.
“Can I come in?” His book bag was slung over his shoulder. “Since I knew you were studying and I also needed to, I thought I could join you.” He hadn’t been getting much done on his own, so maybe if he was here next to her, he could focus on school or on something else.
“Sure,” she said. “Come in, make yourself at home.” He took a seat on the couch. Looking around, he could see her books were scattered around an empty space on the floor. She smiled. “I’m glad you came by. Do you want anything to drink? I ordered pizza for myself earlier and have some left if you’re hungry.”
“Nope, I’m good,” he said.
She resumed her seat on the floor, picked up her textbook and pretended to read. Five minutes later she gave up and looked over at Stephen, who was looking back at her. She smiled again. “What?”
“Nothing.” he replied, also smiling. He turned back to his book, thinking that he was glad he’d come. He liked being around her.
She continued to watch him, admiring how good he looked in sweats and a t-shirt. His hair stood in tufts on his head, probably from being finger combed, and the stubble from last night was a good look for him. After a few seconds, he looked up. She smiled again. She didn’t seem capable of doing much more when he was around. She stopped pretending to study.
Reye's Gold (Indigo) Page 7
