by Amber Burns
“It was...passionate,” astutely ignoring Dan’s phrasing, she blinks to set her gaze on me and I know the small smile is secreted for me.
Jesse drums a four-beat measure and basic fill. “Best critique I’ve ever heard, I think.”
Not to be bested, Dan peels a riff, his finger slide ending in a flourishing bow. “‘Thank you, thank you very much’.”
Holly laughs at that, unknowingly inflating Dan’s ego as he grins stupidly.
Though who am I to blame Dan? I’m falling dumb over a woman myself.
Astra keeps her smile frozen, unable to do much more. The tip of her nose is alluring. And the fullness of her bottom lip, chewed to redness, steams my blood molten hot.
I’d love to kiss her.
I step in her direction, replacing Dan when he draws Holly away to show her a few more of his moves.
“Passionate? That’s your final answer.” I’m speaking lower, to keep suspicion from others and in reaction to the darkening of her eyes and parting mouth, the heated charge leaping in the small space keeping us separated. “Do you want an encore?”
“From the band?” Astra lowers her gaze, her tongue darting out to wet her bottom lip. “Or from you?”
Jesse’s drumming and cymbal crash gets a mixed reaction from me. On the one hand he saved me from jumping Astra’s bones right there, yet my boner disagrees and prompts the stiffening in my spine.
Feeling my stare, Jesse looks at me and tilts his head.
I’m about to say something mean because my dick is hard and Astra and me are in this weird no-man’s land – and I just want her so fucking bad…
The thought alone has me jizzing.
“I can’t believe I’ve never heard of you,” Holly’s glancing up from her phone. I seize onto the distraction. I’m getting a lot of them, but I’m starting to sift through the good ones and the cock-blocking ones.
“You guys have been playing since ’97.”
“Mostly off-scene, yeah,” Dan answers her.
“That does sound about right. I’d finish college at the end of that summer.” Jesse’s tone is whimsical.
“Are you planning to take a break, or is it go-go-go?” she asks.
Jesse is drumming restlessly. Dan looks a bit down also; his fingers go slack on his guitar, gaze cast to the studio’s sleek maple flooring.
Holly senses the mood change and leaps into an apology. With the guys out of commission, I allay her fear of having stepped over a boundary or touched a nerve.
“Funny you mention that. We’ve been thinking about it lately.” I say.
“It’d give me time to write my own music, travel, breathe,” Dan adds, his smile small, especially under his dark beard.
Jesse scrunches his brow with thought. “I guess I’d probably head home. I haven’t seen my mom since Christmas.”
“Yeah, that’d be two months ago. Dude, I like your mom too, but man,” Dan chuckles.
“So? I can’t help it if my family’s awesome. And my sister just had her first kid.”
“I think that’s sweet,” Holly presses a hand to her chest. Dan’s bravado cools at her favoring Jesse.
I look to see Astra doing pretty much the same. What is it with women and babies?
Still, I get a brief flash of Astra with her own kid. Her belly swollen, heavy and round, her cheeks glowing from motherhood: It’s a glorious image, fleeting but glorious.
“Where would you travel, Dan?”
Perking up now that he has Holly’s attention, Dan scratches his beard. “Like everywhere,” he drops his hand. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“I wish I could travel everywhere,” Holly sighs. “But motherhood calls, and speaking of motherhood, I’ll probably have to head home soon. I can’t expect the teen-sitter to stay the whole night. I can wish though.” She tosses a sheepish grin over to Astra.
That would be my cue to end the night, see the ladies home and do the gentlemanly thing of leaving Astra at her front door.
“What are you going to do?” Astra’s question, directed at me, catches me off guard. If we were alone I might have answered differently, but on the spot in front of the guys and Holly, too, I blank.
Or is it because you really have no clue, the annoying thought goes all-caps in my head. I concentrate on forming a response.
“I don’t know.”
Dan breaks the short silence that feels much longer to me. “Boring,” he sings. “You have all this time and that’s what you’re going to do with your life? Life of the party, that’s what you are, my man.”
Jesse laughs with him, and when I chuckle it cues Holly to loosen up and laugh with the guys. Astra isn’t so easy to allay.
She’s studying me silently, blinking awake when I say, “Let’s get you home then.”
After dropping off Holly, Astra lingers in the car, and when her hand finally unstraps her seat buckle, I call her back. “I really don’t know.”
She’s quiet, waiting for me to continue.
It takes a moment, but I have my scattered mind in a coherent enough order.
“I know Dan and Jesse would like the hiatus, but is it selfish of me to say I don’t? We’ve never talked about it. Out of mind, out of sight – the truth is I just wouldn’t know what to do with all that time. Write new music? Sure. Maybe consider the solo thing for a bit? That’d make my manager, label and fans happy, I think.”
I sigh, ripping the tight grip off the wheel and hazarding a glance to my right. “Pretty pathetic or what?”
Astra’s hand falls over the console, squeezing my hand and warming my whole body from the contact alone. “Some decisions can’t be made overnight. It’s all about the process.”
I lift a brow, my lips tilting up in spite the somber mood hanging over us. “Is that the counsellor talking?”
“It’s a friend talking.”
“A friend? Is that what you think you are?” I’m teasing. Astra takes it differently.
She avoids my eyes. Her chin dips into her bulky scarf and the street light and snow allow me to make out her responding smile, her red-tipped nose…and her trembling mouth. I hear her gasp, feel her soft chin in my hand and finally waken on her lips.
I wriggle my way past her defenses into her secreted warmth. I keep my eyes open to watch hers flutter close, her hands coming up to fist what she can of my leather jacket.
She’s taking me as much as I’m taking her.
Now I hope her panties are soaked through for me.
“You’re most definitely not a friend,” I say once we come up for air.
My mouth touches the tip of her nose. I bask in her heavy breathing, my grin lazy while I wait for her heart race to normalize, if it can do that. Mine sure as heck can’t with her so near and ready to be taken, again and again…
All night preferably.
“I-I’m not a-a friend.” Astra swallows hard, and repeats, stammer-free this time. “I’m not a friend.”
She catches on quick.
My grin widens. “Not at all.”
Chapter 7
“Heaven,” I groan, massaging Astra’s wet hair, the darker red strands clinging to my fingers, perfuming my hand with her fruit-based shampoo.
She lifts her head from my flaccid dick, her pink tongue skirting across her lips, cleaning herself of my semen. Heaped up on her pillows I get a view of her clean up and all.
Sitting up straighter along the headboard of her queen-sized bed, I watch bemusedly at her pursuit of me.
“Come here, beautiful.” My beckoning draws her up. She squeezes her lips together, hazel eyes darkened by lust at my crooking finger or the slow smirk spreading across my face. I’m not sure.
She does what I say though.
I help slide up into my lap, side-straddling me, her mouth finding mine at the mere suggestion of my hand around the back of her head. It’s a bruiser of a kiss. I’m pillaging her mouth, my tongue catching and releasing hers, soaking up the taste of myself in her mouth.
“I give you five billion stars,” I grunt when her rear rubs my cock. The tingles from my afterglow still processing through my blood, weighing my limbs with the heavy, welcome pressure of orgasmic bliss. “Scratch that. The whole universe of stars and then some, you’re that amazing, babe.”
She smiles against my lips at the correction. I like her soft kiss, but it makes me crave more. Sinking my fingers into her ass and wrapping my free arm around her middle, I press her harder into me.
Our lips lift off on a wet smack. I’m skipping the breath, jumping to kissing the side of her throat, trailing down to her shoulder to drag my teeth over the flesh there.
“Ryker,” her breathy moan driving me crazy.
She tilts her chest towards my seeking mouth, arching for the closer nipple to settle between my lips. I suck happily, releasing with a pop. Her other tit is a bit of stretching on my part and hers.
Under her butt I feel my cock lengthening, engorging with blood.
“Again, please,” Astra frees her nipple from my mouth. Her cheeks are flushed, and I’d worry that her cold resurfaced if we weren’t about to go horizontal for the third time. “Please, Ryker, again.”
Her begging is helping revive me.
She takes charge of her own destiny. Her wetness brushing my dick as she shifts, wrapping her legs around me, her beautiful large breasts swaying in my face in the seconds it takes for her to settle in her new position.
“Baby, yes,” I massage her legs, keeping still over her fleshy hips at her teasing rubbing. Not to be outdone I thrust back against her.
Astra aids me by bending back. Her hips are gyrating, saying much more than she’s able to. I dig into her hip bones and settle her core over my renewed erection. I’m holding on tighter, gritting my tight at the beautiful friction.
She feels so fucking good. Her cunt hugs me, her body welcoming me home as I lift her up, take her to my tip and expose myself to the contrast of the cool air in the room and her hot, hot body before plunging back in.
“Astra, fuck.” My grunting overtakes her moans and whimpers.
“Ahh,” she wails.
Her release is imminent. I feel it, her walls clenching around me, forcing my own sprint over the edge. I cling to her ass, riding out the glorious, bone-numbing, blinding catharsis. I thrust through it, remembering my girl’s still hasn’t cum.
Not too long after Astra loudly moans her own release, and she’s triggering mini-convulsions in me as she milks me of my seed.
Yes, babe, take me deep inside of you. Let me fill you forever.
There’s something possessive, primal...perfect about that thought. My hand consciously moves between our bodies. I stroke her belly, my thumb pointing down, brushing the top of her mound and V of red-blond pubic curls.
Astra and pregnancy probably wouldn’t bother me right then. Very little would bother me while I bask in all that is sex. I continue to rub her stomach, coming to when Astra’s hand falls over mine.
She’d look sexy with a big belly – sexier knowing she's carrying my baby.
But that’s the afterglow talking.
I have to remind myself she’s on the pill. Though that isn’t one-hundred percent baby proof, it’s good for me as I wouldn’t trade the intimate skin-on-skin squeeze of her pussy.
Not for the world.
“I can’t believe we had sex again, and again and again.” I rub my eyes, stretching my arms. I’ve never felt so heavy with...satisfaction. I feel full to my belly and beyond.
Beside me Astra laughs softly. “We better get up before make it a fourth round.”
“You’re joking, right?” I give her a long look. She’s dead serious. “You insatiable woman,” I steal a kiss, growling at her dragging her nails over my chest, light enough to keep from drawing blood, my shooting licks of flames through my limbs.
My shaft is stirring against her hot, wet core. I imagine going hard inside of her and the idea tugs sensual nerves all over my body.
Her hands are gripping my hair. Suddenly I’m glad Jesse didn’t talk me into getting my hair shaved like he did. I like the rough edge she’s adding to our foreplay.
Using my hair alone, she navigates me to her breasts. I lavish them, worship her until the nubs are tight and eye-catchingly red. I knew I’d love Astra’s...body – her body.
I wrap my arms around her middle, leaning down and deepening our latest lip lock. I want to forget about love, about anything other than her soft, full, wonderful body.
This woman is made for me.
I’m about to cry at the intrusive thought. Damn fucking stupid head...oh, Astra….
“Fourth time’s the charm.” I whisper along her mouth, kissing her cheek, trailing to catch her earlobe and bathing in her hitched cry as I tug playfully and, tightening my hold around her middle, thrust up at the same time.
“No,” Astra moans, eyes closed. She slaps my shoulder, her face saying something else entirely. “We can’t. Ryker, s-stop, aaaah…”
“Yes. Say yes, babe,” I beg.
“No…”
I hear her. Still it takes longer for me to process, just as long to drop my arms, and what feels like an eternity of torture before she’s moving from straddling me and hanging her legs off the side of the bed.
“Behave.” She smiles, batting my searching hands playfully from her waist. “Maybe we’ll play later. If you’re a good boy.”
“I’ll be whatever you want, woman, just get back here.” I don’t add ‘and fuck me again’ only as my implication is clear.
My whining ends on a sharp hiss as Astra bends over to lift up her nightdress from the floor. I get a view of her pussy, better lit with the streams of morning slipping through her sheer curtains.
“Breakfast first,” Astra warns.
My hands fall away and I’m left to gawk after her swaying naked ass. When I meet her in the hall she’s in front of the linen closet, she points out the bathroom and hands me a towel. “It’s a clean extra.” She says.
“I wouldn’t have minded if you rubbed your body all over it,” I grin at her flustered dismissal. “Will I be having company?”
“Absolutely not,” she pushes at my chest. I trap her hand and pull her along. “Ryker, we can’t. We’ll get distracted in there.”
“What I’m hoping for.” I open the door to her small bathroom.
“As much as I’d love to, what’ll take to get you in the shower alone?”
“Pancakes and syrup and lots of sex afterwards.” It’s a tall order, but I won’t settle for less. My little counsellor seems to understand this and she gives in, though I’m betting a part of her would love to negotiate.
“Enjoy the shower,” her hand grips the door, eyes skittering down my naked frame. “Make sure to thoroughly wash.”
“Or you’ll spank me?” I finish, hoping to whatever deity listening in she spanks me later. Astra’s doing all these crazy things to me. Since when have I ever considered bondage?
She licks her lips, and not answering, closing the door very, painfully slowly.
“Down before you know it,” I call out before the door clicks closed. I can make out her light footfalls moving away. Then I settle into the quickest shower to keep that promise.
In the kitchen I invade her space straight away. None of this week together feels real, ever feels real until I’ve got a hold around her.
“Ryker.” Her gasp vibrates through me. Instead of moving away I hug her closer, ignoring the sizzling bacon in the pan in front of her.
“What happened to the pancakes?” I ask, breaking up the question with kisses over the thin material covering her shoulder.
“The syrup happened,” she sighs. “I thought I had a bit left. Unless you want to run to the store…” and then she tilts her head back. “You’d have to put on a shirt for that though.”
She flips the bacon and turns off the stove top. I notice the
two plates of fluffy eggs belatedly. I let her go to do her thing, but I hover around like her shadow.
Breakfast separates us. Sorta.
Under the table in the corner of her decent-sized kitchen I nudge her foot and start a game of footsie. I lose...hard.
I jump for the third time when Astra’s heel nudges my crotch. My legs part wider and I’m thrusting against her foot. Half of my eggs are forgotten as lust numbs me.
