by Kahlen Aymes
My face reached toward his as his lips hovered above mine. I wanted him to kiss me, to feel his lips and tongue devour me.
"All's fair in love and war. You know that, Julia." His tongue came out to lightly trace my upper lip and then he sucked the lower one and nibbled a little with his teeth. My head fell back and my arms slid up his bare chest and around his neck.
"Is this love or war?" I whispered as he took my mouth in a deep, very slow and passionate kiss. My body responded to his touch and his mouth on mine, my nipples hardened and the moisture began to pool. I felt my body begin to open.
"Uhhh..." I moaned against his mouth as he shifted my body underneath his. I moaned again as I felt the evidence of his desire pressing into my core. God, I wanted him.
"I think I should tell you," he said as his mouth played with mine, teasing and leaving me wanting more, "that if this is war, you're going to lose and lose huge." Ryan smiled against my lips before his mouth resumed the deep, sucking kisses. His tongue slid into my mouth and I opened to him as his arms tightened around me. The bare skin of our chests against each other felt glorious. There was something delicious about the skin on skin, both of us moaning as we rubbed against each other, his lower body surging against mine.
"God, Ryan. I love you so much. I can't believe this is happening." His answer was to kiss me again and again as his hands moved over my body and deftly removed the robe completely. At last, we were naked and rolling around with each other on the bed, writhing and panting, kissing deeply, like we'd never get enough.
"Oh, Julia. Finally. This is magnificent. It’s madness," he groaned against my breast just before he pulled the nipple into his mouth. He suckled first one, then the other, his hand stroking down my thigh and back again to rest on my hip. He pulled me closer and pressed his hardness into me again. "See how much I want you? I've always wanted you like this, babe."
I arched by breasts toward his mouth as I bit the skin on the top of his shoulder lightly. "Yes, Ryan,...please," I begged.
His kisses became softer until finally he drew back to look into my eyes. "You'll be sore right now, honey," he whispered against the curve of my neck, his tongue coming out to lick the skin before he blew softly on the wetness left behind. I shivered and his hand traced up my arm. "We can still play a little, but no penetration, okay?"
"Okay, playing is good," I breathed against his mouth as my hand traced down his chest and stomach to grasp around his hardness and began to slowly move up and down. He groaned against my shoulder. We needed no more words as we both touched and kissed each other until we both exploded in ecstasy beneath the other's hands. The sun was coming up before we fell into an exhausted sleep, satisfied, content and completely wrapped around each other.
RYAN~
My phone was ringing in the distant recesses of my mind, but I fought waking up. Moaning in protest, I rolled over, glancing at the clock on the bedside table in Julia's bedroom. A huge grin split across my face.
Julia's bedroom.
I was in her bed and we had shared the most incredible, intoxicating night of my life. She was incredibly responsive to each and every touch. It felt like we were made only for each other. No other woman in my life had ever made me feel so fulfilled, so possessive or so ready to burst. My heart swelled as I climbed out of bed and rushed to my pants to grab my phone.
Aaron.
"What?!" I practically snapped.
"Whoa. Happy fucking Thanksgiving to you, too!"
I sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, Aaron. I was sleeping."
"Sleeping? It's three PM!"
"Not here it isn't, moron," I teased. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"You better ask that boy if he finally grew a pair and took what that girl has been dying to give him!" Jen called happily from the background.
"Uh, yeah. We want to know if you finally tapped that fine ass," Aaron laughed.
Neither of them minced words, that's for sure. "Uh...that fine ass is not up for discussion." I smiled as I reached for my pants and slid them on, standing to finish the job.
"Ryan. It's me, Aaron. You have to tell me, for crying out loud! We've been watching the two of you do the dance for years. So spill already!"
"Okay. Yes." I laughed happily; amazed at how pleased I was to tell him that Julia and I were finally a couple.
"That's what I'm talking about! Congratulations, man!" Jenna shrieked in the background. "Jenna is doing the happy dance around the kitchen right now," he laughed. "How was it?"
I paused, wondering where Julia was. I didn't want her to be upset that I was telling Aaron about our lovemaking. I smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen and assumed she was already working on the meal for later in the day.
"It was...incredible. Like nothing I've ever experienced."
“It's about damn time. You both deserve this. Jules is a great girl," he said seriously.
"Thank you. I know I sound like a sappy shit, but I love her so fucking much I can't even breathe, Aaron," I said softly.
"You always have, Ryan. Newsflash! She has too."
I padded into the kitchen to see my girl at the stove stirring something that was sautéing in a skillet and then bending to take a cookie sheet filled with bread from the oven.
"Yeah. Amazing, isn't it?" Julia turned when she heard me laugh and smiled widely. "She's already making the feast, Aaron. She's...perfect." She was wearing my shirt and some cut off sweats and her hair was piled in a knot on top of her head. It made my heart skip a beat at the sight. This was my Julia.
"Really? Jen! Get your ass in the kitchen and start making dinner. Julia is three hours behind you and she's already started!"
I laughed out loud again when I heard Jenna's response in the background. "You get your ass dressed. The turkey will be served at McFarland's. Corner of 15th and Nichols. Bring your wallet, asshole."
"Ugh! See how lucky you are?" Aaron groaned.
"Yeah. I'm well aware of how good I've got it," I said softly, watching Julia begin to break up the bread into a large bowl.
"Let me talk to Julia."
"Ok...have a great day and tell Jen I love her."
"You too, Ryan. And I am really happy for you."
"Thanks." I handed the phone to my girl. "Aaron wants to say hello."
She wiped her hands on a towel and reached for the phone, but I grabbed her hand and pulled her to me. "Good morning," I whispered against her mouth before giving her a soft kiss.
I heard Aaron screaming on the phone. "Ryan, keep it in your pants! Let me talk to Jules!" We both laughed out loud as I released her.
"Hello, Aaron. How are you guys?"
I tried to figure out the conversation by listening to Julia’s responses, but there were bound to be holes.
"I'm...wonderful. Thank you for asking." A beautiful smile split on her face and she glanced at me.
"I doubt that will be necessary." She laughed. "He's been perfect."
"I know pathetic, right? Yes. I do. Tell Jenna Happy Thanksgiving for me. What? Well, I'll have plenty if you want to hop a flight. Dinner’s at seven."
"Ok. Love you. Bye."
Julia was smiling from ear to ear when she handed me back the phone. I pulled her to me again and lifted her chin so I could kiss her sweet lips.
"What was that all about? Please don't tell me you invited them to invade this weekend," I whispered against her mouth, licking and sucking playfully.
She kissed my mouth, then my chin before finally pulling out of my arms. "Ryan...I need to get back to the dressing. The sausage will burn if I don't keep my wits about me." She went back to the stove and took the skillet off of the heat. "Are you hungry?"
"Of course I'm hungry, but you didn’t answer, honey." I lifted my eyebrows and reached into the skillet to take out a chunk of the crumbled sausage and pop it in my mouth.
She giggled at the look on my face. "Nothing. Just being a good big brother. Very sweet."
I leaned
my hip against the counter and took in all of the ingredients scattered around. Herbs, vermouth, hazelnuts, celery and onions, apples and pears, lined the counters. Shit, I didn't even remember my mother going to this extreme. "Yes, but what did he say?" I persisted.
She giggled again. "You know this is fun. I could tease you all day with this, sweetie."
My heart thumped at her use of the endearment. "You can tease me, sure, but not with Aaron's call, okay?" I added suggestively and then gave her my pouty face, sticking out my lower lip. She wouldn't be able to resist for long.
Julia sighed as she dumped the sausage into the same bowl that held the dried bread. She cocked her head to one side and then shook it slightly but smiled. I knew I had her then.
"Just that he'd beat your ass if you didn't take good care of me. He was playing with me. It was cute."
"He's a good man. Jen was giving me a ration of shit, too. Do you need any help, my love?"
"You can help me after you've had breakfast." Turning, she pulled out some fresh lemon muffins from the oven and removed them to a plate. My favorite.
In college she used to make them for brunch, usually accompanied by some fruit, Eggs Benedict and fresh orange juice. Aaron used to complain that she didn't make blueberry enough since they were what he liked best. When she did, she always made the lemon, too. I smiled at the memory. How did I miss how much she loved me back then? She spoiled me rotten.
On cue she went to the fridge and pulled out a bowl of freshly chopped fruit and set it in front of me along with a plate holding two of the warm muffins.
"Juice and coffee?" Her soft green eyes rose to meet mine and I brushed her hair back from her face.
"Yes, please. Why are you so perfect?"
She smiled and shrugged. "I'm not, Ryan."
"Of course you are. I've known you all this time and I haven't found anything I don't love about you."
"I piss you off a lot when I don't give you your way," she teased. "Sometimes we fight like cats and dogs."
"Technicality. Nothing more," I scoffed and then lathered butter all over one of the muffins before popping half of it in my mouth. "I only get two of these?" I smiled with my mouth full.
"Pfft! What do you think?" She went back to chopping up the onions and some celery stalks before putting them in the skillet and then returning it to the stove.
"Well, I think...that you're going to give me my way in everything this weekend." I wagged my eyebrows at her. "At least...I'm hoping."
"Your way is mine, too. It works out well, doesn't it?" Her soft laughter was like music to my ears.
"Extremely well. I love you, you know."
She glanced over her shoulder as she stirred the contents of the skillet, the delicious scent filling the air as she did so.
"Yeah, I know." She shrugged offhandedly and then laughed. "I love you, too."
I pushed my plate away and pulled up a stool next to the counter bar where she worked.
"Julia." I watched her face as she finally emptied the rest of the vegetables into the bowl and began chopping up fresh sage, rosemary and thyme.
"Hmmm?" she said absently as she worked, so focused on what she was doing, like she'd done it a million times before.
I wanted to talk about last night. "Julia, last night was…a miracle. I'll never forget it," I said softly. "It was the best night of my life."
She stopped what she was doing and set the knife down. "It meant the world to me, too. Thank you for being so gentle. It couldn't have been better, Ryan. Truly. You made me feel so special."
"Come here," I begged and took her in my arms. "You are special, Julia. That's why I didn't make moves on you before. I didn't see you the same way I saw other women. You were so much more." Her arms wound around my waist and I pulled her tight against my chest and kissed the top of her head. "I love you so fucking much."
She breathed in and nodded against me. "I know, Ryan. It’s okay. Looking back, I'm sorry I didn't tell you how I felt, but at least we were together."
"My best friend, Julia." I sighed against her temple then placed a series of soft kisses on the side of her face and the corner of her mouth. "So beautiful, irresistible and amazing that no other woman could hold a candle to you. Not even close."
"Not that irresistible. You resisted almost four years," she reminded me.
"I was dying with it, though. And the other guys,” I huffed, “I wanted to kill every one of them; sure you'd figure me out. I tried to get over it but couldn't stand thinking of them touching you and kissing you. When I discovered that you dumped them after I let you know I hated them, I used it." I smiled. "I was a selfish prick."
"I just thought you were being overprotective."
"More like territorial. You were mine...in my head, at least." I turned her face toward mine and let my mouth take hers in a deep kiss.
God, she melts me.
"Not just in your head. It's like I said last night, Ryan. It hurt me too, but there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. I tried to change how I felt, but nothing worked."
"Why didn't you tell me you were a virgin before? I thought we shared everything," I asked softly as I brushed her hair back and stared into her face.
Her eyes filled with tears. "I didn't want you to think I was a loser or worse- that I was in love with you. I didn’t want you to figure out I couldn't let anyone else touch me. I mean...It would have been humiliating."
I sighed and pulled her tight against me again. "Oh, baby, no it wouldn't. It would’ve gotten my head out of my ass that much sooner. I'm sorry you were hurt by those girls, my love. So sorry. They meant nothing. I used them to try to get you off of my mind but it didn't work. I love you, Julia. It’s always been just you."
She breathed in and her shoulders shook in a sob. "I know. It's over. I'm just glad we're together."
"Don't cry, sweet. I can't bear to see your tears. It's all going to be perfect now, Julia. I promise."
She raised her teary eyes to mine and finally answered. "As perfect as we can make it from so far away. I wouldn't trade it, though. I'll take you from 3000 miles over any other man in the same room with me."
I smiled at her words as my heart expanded to the point of pain. "Enough tears. We've got all weekend to talk about it and as long as it takes to figure that shit out. Okay?"
"Okay." She wiped her tears and moved back, resuming her task of chopping the herbs on the cutting board. "Ryan, will you put those hazelnuts on that cookie sheet and set the timer for 15 minutes?"
I smiled as I moved to do her bidding.
This is my life. This is going to be my life. My life with Julia.
If I had to drop out of Harvard and move to the West Coast, I'd do what needed to be done to be with her.
"Stop thinking about leaving Harvard," Julia said shortly. I raised my eyebrow.
How did she know what I was thinking?
"I can tell by that serious look on your face that you're trying to figure out a way to get out here. Forget it, Ryan. I mean it. I'll move there. Maybe not Boston, but at least New York."
"Julia, I-" I began but she interrupted me.
"Was I wrong or was that what you were thinking about?" she asked, her brow knitted as she paused to look up at me.
"No. You're right, but I can-"
"No. We both worked our asses off for you to get into Harvard and I won't let you give it up. We've got forever, isn't that what you said?" She said sternly, all the while continuing to put the dressing together without missing a beat.
"Yes, but I need to be with you. We need-."
"I know. But I need you to finish what you started out there. It’s your dream."
"My perspective has changed. You’re my priority, now." I felt my voice grow in volume.
"Why are you getting upset? We have the same priorities. But it will happen on the East Coast." Julia loaded the herbs into the bowl and began chopping up an apple and a pear.
I didn’t know what to say. She was amazing.
Once again, she was giving me what I wanted above all else. Letting me have Harvard and have her near me. She would make the sacrifice necessary to make it happen, and do it without even flinching.
Finally I found my voice. "Julia, you don't have to give up your dreams for me. That isn't fair."
"Who said I'm giving them up? I'm moving them to the other side of the country or, worst case scenario, putting them off for a couple of years. What's three or four years?"
I was stunned. "You're amazing. I don't deserve you." I walked around to stand beside her and ran my hand down her back and began to rub soft circles over my shirt.
"You deserve any damn thing I want to give you, got it?" She nudged me with her shoulder. Our nudge. I nudged her back. I wasn't going to win this argument and I gave in willingly.
"Yes. Love you."
"Yeah, well you better! I'm moving to fucking New York, for God's sake!" The laughter in her voice was a beautiful thing. "I must love you, too."
I took the knife from her hand and enfolded her in my arms, lifting her so that her mouth was level with mine. We kissed again deeply, her hands fisting in my hair and pulling my mouth tighter against hers. When we were both breathless, she finally dragged her mouth from mine. "Unless you want raw turkey, you need to let me get this thing in the oven," she breathed against my jaw and then kissed it.
"If I must. Right now, raw sounds okay, though."
Julia~
The day sped by. We worked in the kitchen together until the turkey was in the oven, the yams were candied and the bread was raising on top of the stove, letting the warmth of the oven assist in the job.
We curled up on the couch and he turned on a football game while I leaned up against Ryan’s chest, content to do nothing but lie there folded in his arms. I snuggled in and he pulled me even tighter, sighing against the side of my head that rested against his shoulder.
I closed my eyes, letting myself savor the moment. This was where I needed to be for the rest of my life and it didn't matter if it was in New York, Boston, L.A. or Timbuktu. He was home to me and nothing was more important than being with him.
