Now there was no doubt how this was going to end. After all, he wouldn’t have mentioned condoms if he wasn’t going to use them.
Pushing open the door, he took me into his room. I’d had a glimpse of it before, of course – and he still didn’t know about the night I’d spied on him, I realised with a pang of guilt – but I’d never been inside until now. The expected litter of dirty clothes, used tissues, and bits of surfing equipment was nowhere to be seen, and I wondered briefly whether he’d straightened the place up in the hopes of bringing someone back here tonight. Or maybe he was just the naturally tidy type.
When he kissed me again, I stopped thinking about any neat-freak habits and concentrated solely on the feel of his tongue battling with my own. My fingers twined in the short ends of his hair, and I sighed at the delicious feeling of his hard cock pressing against me. He tugged at the halter neck of my bikini top, searching for the snap fastening; when he popped it open, the two halves of the top fell forward, baring my breasts to him.
‘Oh, Lily, you have the most gorgeous breasts.’ Ryan’s tone was awed, as though he was looking at a priceless work of art. ‘I love all the cute little freckles on them.’
He traced over those freckles as he spoke, before using the tip of his finger to tease my nipple. The bud, already tight with need, stiffened even further at his touch, and I moaned out loud.
‘Oh, so sensitive …’ Ryan switched his attention to the other nipple, drawing the same reaction from me with very little effort.
‘Please,’ I murmured, though I wasn’t sure quite what I was asking for.
He glanced down at my bikini top, hanging uselessly around my waist. ‘Take it off, Lily,’ he said, the words more of a command than a request. ‘Take it all off.’
Did my gorgeous toy boy have a dominant streak? I wondered, as my hands flew to the back fastening of my top, pulling it apart, before undoing the knot that held my sarong in place. The silky material slithered to the ground, leaving me standing in a pair of bikini bottoms considerably more substantial than the other girls at the party were wearing.
Ryan didn’t say a word, just waited for me to remove those too. He couldn’t have failed to notice the dampness in the crotch as I peeled them down, or the briny scent of excited woman that permeated the air.
‘God,’ he murmured, the would-be master almost reduced to speechlessness by the sight of my naked body. Recovering himself, he said, ‘I’ve fantasised about this moment so many times, but I never thought it would be so good.’
So it wasn’t just my writing that fuelled his masturbation sessions, then. ‘And what else have you fantasised about?’ I asked. ‘Because maybe that’ll be better in real life as well.’
‘I – I think about you sucking my cock,’ Ryan admitted.
He didn’t need to say another word. I slid to my knees before him, my face a perfect mask of submission and longing as I caught hold of the waistband of his shorts. When I’d tugged them down to his ankles, he stepped out of them. I tossed the garment to one side, not caring where it fell. All that mattered was my first glimpse of his cock, as long and hard as its insistent presence against my stomach had suggested, with a strong upward curve. The hair around it hadn’t been lightened by the sun the way that on his head had, and when I moved closer, taking his shaft in my hand, I could smell the enticing, earthy maleness of his crotch.
My fist moved in a lazy, pumping action up and down the length of him, easing back his foreskin from the plump head that already shone with a little precome. ‘Are you ready for this?’ I asked him seductively.
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘Oh, Lily, please don’t tease me …’
‘Haven’t you learned yet that the anticipation makes it all the sweeter?’ With that, I circled his crown with my lips, the touch so light as to frustrate him further. He jerked his hips, wanting to push himself further into my mouth, but my hand at the root of his cock held him steady. I didn’t want this to be over too quickly, even though I had the feeling he’d come in my mouth whatever I did, the potency of his deepest desires made flesh too much to resist.
Somehow, though, he held back, even when I took him fully between my lips, my tongue flicking over and around his cockhead. I didn’t know how it compared to his fantasies, but it was every bit as exciting as I’d always hoped it would be, my mouth full of his hot, musky flesh, my free hand gripping at his thick thigh to steady myself as I worked my lips and down his shaft.
The moment he feared he was about to come, he pulled back. ‘I need to fuck you so much,’ he said. ‘Need to know how it feels to be buried deep in your pussy.’
‘Then do it,’ I told him, sitting on the bed and patting the space beside me, inviting me to join him.
Those condoms he’d mentioned were in the top drawer of his bedside cabinet. He fetched one, and I rolled it slowly into place, the gesture simply another excuse to keep touching and stroking his gorgeous cock.
Once I was satisfied with my efforts, I reclined back against the pillows, spreading my legs and making it obvious I wanted him between them. Ryan crawled up the bed, looking at me as though all his Christmases had come at once. Now there was a thought; Christmas in July, with the temperature, at this late hour, still up in the seventies. And the heat we’d generated between us was nudging the mercury even higher; beads of sweat glistened on Ryan’s chest, and I ached to lick them up.
Instead, I pressed my lips to his as he leant over me, catching fistfuls of my curls and slowly manoeuvring himself into place as we continued to kiss. When his latex-sheathed cock bumped against the entrance to my pussy, I reached out and guided him in. Not so big as to be uncomfortable, he still stretched muscles that hadn’t received much of a workout since Alex left me, and I let out a tormented groan.
‘I’m not hurting you, am I?’ Ryan asked, eyes wide with concern.
‘No. It – it’s just been a while, that’s all. Please, don’t stop, whatever you do.’
Happy to obey, Ryan shoved harder until he was snugly buried in my wet channel. He gazed down at me, lust shining in his blue eyes, and in that moment it didn’t matter that he was 14 years younger than me, that I’d been at university while he was in primary school, that most of my favourite bands had split up before he’d even been born. The connection between us was so strong, so vital, it made those differences irrelevant. We were meant to find ourselves here, joined on the most primal level, my legs wrapped around the small of his back as he started to fuck me with short, shallow thrusts. Why try and fight that?
‘Oh, Ryan, that feels good,’ I told him, urging him on to move a little faster, push a little deeper, hitting the neglected spot high up on my pussy walls that responded best to firm pressure.
‘It feels even better to be inside you,’ he replied.
My nails raked at the skin over his shoulder blades, passion rising at a pitch that threatened to run out of control. Already, Ryan’s movements were losing some of their fluency as he got more excited, closer to coming. I needed more stimulation if I was to follow him over the edge, and I murmured in his ear, ‘Touch me. Make me come.’
Maybe he’d never been with someone who’d issued such a direct request, and at first he didn’t quite know how to respond. Then he dropped a finger to the place where his body joined with mine, finding my clit where it peeped out from the slick folds of skin surrounding it, and gave it a gentle rub.
It seemed as though my world dissolved at his touch, and I could only call his name helplessly, lost in the sensations of my orgasm. Even when I closed my eyes, I could still see Ryan’s gorgeous face, teeth biting at his lower lip as he tried to hold his own orgasm back just a few seconds longer. But my squeezing, clutching pussy muscles were stronger than his willpower and, with a despairing roar, he came in a series of little jerks.
His kisses were soft as he eased himself out of me, slipping from the bed to go and dispose of the condom. I watched him cross the carpeted floor, eyes drinking in the sight of his bare back and ar
se. Part of me still couldn’t quite believe we’d just fucked; it felt like a glorious dream brought on by the wine and the summer heat. But the faint soreness in my muscles and the languor in my limbs told me it was all deliciously real.
Maybe tomorrow we’d have to talk about what we’d done, and what might happen if – or, more likely, when – his friends found out. And what would I say to Amanda? But those were problems for another time. Now, as Ryan joined me once more and I snuggled into the crook of his shoulder, all I could do was try and stay awake for long enough to watch his own eyes close and his breathing change to soft snores. I barely managed it, then all the excesses of the day overtook me and I couldn’t fend off sleep any longer.
In my dreams, I was dancing on the sand again, body moving to the loud, thumping rhythm of the drums. Except the thumping was coming from somewhere close by, dragging me awake. Someone was banging on the front door. In response, Dexter barked, the sound urgent and excited.
The sun slanted through a crack in the curtains, already strong enough to suggest it was mid-morning. I hadn’t heard any of the guests departing, so I had no idea what time the party had finally come to an end, or quite how long Ryan and I had slept. Untangling myself from Ryan’s sleepy embrace, I went over to the bedroom window and pulled the curtains open, looking down to see who was on the doorstep. The red Triumph Spitfire parked at the kerb couldn’t fail to tell me the identity of my mystery caller.
Alex.
Chapter Six – Alex
‘WHAT’S HAPPENING?’ RYAN ASKED, sitting up in bed as I grabbed his striped towelling bathrobe from where it hung on the back of the door.
‘Alex is downstairs,’ I told him, pulling on the robe and fastening the belt securely at my waist. It was far too long for me, the sleeves reaching all the way down to my fingertips, but I didn’t have time to look for anything more suitable.
It took a moment for what I’d told Ryan to register. ‘What, you mean your ex-boyfriend Alex? What’s he doing here?’
‘I have absolutely no idea, but I’m about to find out.’
With that, I hurried out of the room, taking the stairs as fast as I could without tripping over the hem of the bathrobe. When I opened the front door, Alex’s fist was raised, as though he was about to hammer on the wood one last time. He looked at me, no doubt taking in the sight of the oversized robe and my sleep-tousled hair. He’d seen me looking worse, but I couldn’t help feeling self-conscious. Not that I’d given it any serious thought, but I supposed if I ever saw him again, I wanted him to see me looking happy, confident and, above all, sexy. That wasn’t quite the vibe I gave off at this moment, if his expression was any indication.
‘Hey, Lily.’ Alex smiled broadly. I did my best to rearrange my features into the same expression, but curiosity and anger made that hard.
‘Alex. This is a surprise …’ So many questions crowded my mind, all demanding urgent answers.
‘Well, aren’t you going to invite me in?’
‘Oh, of course. Where are my manners? Come through.’
I ushered him into the kitchen, told him to sit down at the table and put the kettle on. As I waited for it to boil, I put food down for Dexter, who snuffled gratefully into his bowl.
Even after all this time, I remembered just how Alex liked his tea; strong, with just a dash of milk. I poured a mug, then a second, milkier one for myself.
‘So …’ I passed the mug of tea to him, marvelling how much at ease he looked. I didn’t know how to begin phrasing everything I wanted to ask. My world had already been turned on its axis by the passionate night I’d spent with Ryan. Now here was Alex, shaking everything up again.
‘Yeah, I guess you must be wondering why I’m here. Well, it’s a bit of a complicated story, but you know I moved to that place in Dalston after you and I …?’ He didn’t need to finish the sentence. ‘Well, I’m moving again. I exchanged contracts on a flat in a new development near the Olympic stadium site a couple of days ago.’
‘Oh, Alex, that’s great news. Though I don’t see quite what it has to do with me.’
He blew on his tea before taking a sip. ‘I’ve been going through a lot of stuff I had in storage, seeing how much of it I actually need, you know? And I found an old photo album in amongst all the clutter. There were snaps of you and me on that holiday in Rome, in that little trattoria near the Palazzo Venezia, remember? And some from that party Mick and Elaine threw, where everyone had to come dressed as fairies …’
‘Yes, that was quite an evening – what I recall of it.’ How had we reached the stage where we were making small talk, reminiscing about the old days and the mutual friends we’d had? I needed to be firm with him. ‘But it still doesn’t explain why you’re in Dorset, or how you found me.’
‘Look, I’ll be straight with you, Lily. I looked at all those photos, and saw how happy we were together, and I started to realise what a stupid, stupid mistake I made in letting you go.’
I didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, Ryan distracted me from having to respond by popping his head round the kitchen door.
‘Hey, Lily, everything OK?’
‘Yeah, I’m fine. Ryan, you remember Alex Baines, don’t you?’
Ryan walked in, and I noticed he’d dressed in T-shirt and shorts, giving no clue to the fact he’d just got out of bed – a bed I’d been sharing, at that. He gave Alex an appraising glance, as though sizing up the competition. ‘Of course. You came down to stay the weekend here with Lily, and you had that wicked sports car.’
‘Still do,’ Alex replied.
‘There’s tea in the pot if you want some, Ryan,’ I told him. For one surreal moment, I thought that once he’d poured himself a mug, he’d come and join us at the kitchen table, adding an extra level of weirdness to the situation.
Instead, he said, ‘I’m going to wander down to the beach. I’ve had a few texts from people telling me what a great time they had last night, but I think I ought to go and see how much clearing up needs to be done.’
‘OK,’ I replied. ‘Give me a shout if you need anything.’ Turning back to Alex, I explained, ‘Ryan’s been staying here for a few weeks. He and his friends threw a party on the beach last night. It was quite a bash. Never thought I’d ever find myself dancing to drum-and-bass classics on the sand …’ I knew I was babbling, but Alex’s presence continued to throw me.
‘Sounds like things are going well for you,’ Alex commented.
Maybe last night went well, I wanted to tell him, but you don’t have a clue what’s happened since you walked out on me. You reduce me to a state where I can’t even write a coherent sentence any more, then you breeze back into my life like you’ve never been away.
‘Like I said,’ he continued, taking my silence for agreement, ‘I’ve been thinking about us, and I know now I should never have left. What we had – it wasn’t over, not by a long way. I was foolish to think it was. And I knew I was prepared to do whatever it took to win you back. So I went round to your flat. Except, of course, you weren’t there any more. But the girl who lives there now gave me your forwarding address. Of course, I recognised it from having been here before. I rang your mobile to warn you I was coming, but your voicemail kept picking up, so – well, I thought I’d surprise you.’
And you did that all right, I thought. Though I couldn’t help noticing he’d kept my number – just as I’d kept his, even though I told myself repeatedly I should delete it. Maybe the bond between us was still a little tighter than either of us had cared to admit, till now.
For the first time since Alex had turned up unannounced on the doorstep, I regarded him properly. I had to admit he looked good; he’d cut his hair shorter than it had been at any point when we’d been together, but it suited him, and his hazel eyes still held the twinkle that had always captivated me.
‘Yeah, I had the phone switched off,’ I lied. If I’d been sleeping in my own bed, I’d have heard it ringing. And if I’d answered it, what would I have said? Would
I have told Alex I wasn’t interested in whatever he had to say, or would I have weakened and told him I’d be happy to see him again?
Alex drained the last of his tea, rose to put the empty mug in the sink. ‘So what I came here to say, Lily, is that I miss you, more than I ever thought I would. I need you. And I want you back in my life.’
‘Stop right there, Alex.’ Stunned, I struggled to keep my composure. I got to my feet, wanting to be on an even footing with him. ‘You walk out on me, without any real explanation. You let months go by, and then you just turn up and tell me it’s all been a mistake and you want us to go back to how things were before. Are you serious?’
‘I’ve never been more so …’ He pulled me into an embrace, stroking a stray curl out of my eyes. He smelled of the woody cologne I’d loved so much I’d bought him bottles of it for Christmas, and I sank a little deeper into his arms as all the old, familiar feelings washed over me. Alex was right; we’d shared so much together. We knew each other so well, were perfectly accepting of each other’s little foibles and failings. The chance to get all that back again was incredibly tempting.
‘I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I’m completely sincere,’ Alex assured me. ‘Say you’ll have me back.’
The back door swung open, distracting me from answering him. Ryan strode in, to be greeted by the sight of Alex holding me tight, a moment of apparent tenderness passing between us. The hurt in his eyes was impossible to ignore, and my heart gave a lurch, as though it was trying to break out of my chest. I realised in that moment which of the two I really wanted to be with, and the knowledge gave me the impetus to break out of Alex’s clasp.
‘OK, I know what’s going on here,’ Ryan said, ‘and I know when I’m not wanted. I think it’s better if I’m not around for a while.’ With that, he turned on his heel and fled, stumbling through the garden towards the cliff path.
I flew to the door, calling, ‘Ryan, Ryan, wait! I can explain.’ He didn’t look back; just kept running till he’d disappeared from view and the sound of his sneaker-clad feet no longer echoed on the garden path.
One Long Hot Summer Page 6
