by Ronna Gage
Kieri almost balked at the comment. Did he compare me to other women?
His hands grasped her hips in gentle, but urgent need, and she let the thought go right out of her mind. His fingers skimmed over the hem of her dress, he hiked it up to expose her bared butt cheeks to the cooler air of the room. His fingernails, gentle and careful, scored her outer thighs sending a torrent of heated waves down her middle. Kieri grabbed his hips and held on as his hands roamed over her hips to the string of her t-back panties. She struggled for breath at the piling need when he smoothed a finger over her anus, and then to the very spot that creamed her yearning. The very digit dipped into her entrance; teasing her. She inhaled sharply at the wonderful sensation.
“You’re so hot. I like it.” His finger found the band of her panties. “This will be better with these removed,” he snapped the panty line against her flesh.
Walk away, go now!
Before she could protest or agree, he kissed his way down her stomach until he rested on bended knee. Like an expert, he removed her panties with a soft roll of his hands down her legs until he freed her of them. Tossing the panties on the rail he made promise of the adventure she sought tonight. “I’ll show you what the rumors are all about.” He lifted her dress to expose the waiting, burning core of her wanting.
Don’t go too far. Keep him back! She looked around to make sure no one watched them in her first experience.
He inched closer and inhaled deeply. “I love the smell of a turned on woman.” He moved in, his tongue touched the swollen nub at the top of her pussy and fed the craving she battled.
In her aroused state, the music faded away and Grant’s administration of sexual truth gained the rest of her attention. Kieri clutched at the rail focusing on the lapping motion of Grant’s tongue, and found enchantment in the power it had to send her higher and higher into oblivion. Deep shudders inside her body trembled with violent shakes and jars. And then, on a cloud of euphoria she ascended to heaven and came down to settle in a dizzy world of aspiration and need.
Grant looked up at her from his squatted position. “You’ve learned a few things since we last saw one another.” He stood and faced her. “Let’s see what else you’ve learned. Maybe something worth coming out for.” He smoothed his fingers over the straps of her dress, and they rolled down her arms exposing her shoulders and eventually her breasts. She stepped back to distance herself.
“No, Kieri, don’t pull away,” he suggested with a whisper.
She looked up and saw something in his eyes that touched her heart. Does he really want me? Even after all these years? “I’m not good at this kind of thing.” His hand reached for her, but she stepped out of his grasp. “I thought I could but…” She set her straps in place.
Grant dropped his hands to his sides. “You don’t have to go. I, or we, can back off and…begin when you’re ready.”
She shuffled from one leg to another, covering herself with her hands. Giving up, she groped for her cover up. In her effort to be grown up about the near ramifications of her choices, she feared she would come off as a sniveling virgin. “No, but thank you. Look, Grant, I’m sorry for going too far….”
“Or not far enough…” he laughed at the remark.
Kieri’s heart broke again. How was it he could always make her feel this way? “I deserved that.” She took a step toward the exit. “It’s good seeing you again. I hope to see you soon,” she said with perfect manners…perfectly simple and civil. Although her feet felt like rubber and her insides tremored and quaked, the one thing that broke her tenacity and sent her quick stepping for the door was the wounded sound of his voice calling her name.
“Kieri!”
Grant stood shocked, still in the darkened corner, reeling from her abrupt departure. “What the hell happened?” His tongue swiped his dry lips and tasted her juice. He leaned against the rail and shook out the confusion in his head. This whole night blows me away! He could almost imagine being knocked over with a feather. For six years, Kieri filled his thoughts. He often contemplated how he’d react to seeing her again. His body ached for her touch, her scent was imprinted on his psyche and when she showed up here, of all places, his heart soared. She told him she was investigating the rumors of this place. What did that mean? His arms stretched out onto the rails, his left hand touched on soft material. He jerked it up quickly and smelled the perfume and scent radiating from her panties. Realizing he may have a chance to catch up with her, he ran toward the door. Be there, Kieri. When he got outside, she was gone; no sight of her in the parking lot, or on the benches outside. He almost wished she’d waited for him on the sidewalk in some kind of foolish regret for leaving so soon, but she didn’t.
He looked down at the garment in his hand, and let the fragrance waft in the air toward his nose, fill his senses with the new scent of woman, not young girl. He took the underwear and placed them in his car. How can I find her to return them and not lose my job? Then, a thought came to him. The woman she came with will know how to make contact. He marched back inside and searched the woman out. One way or another he’d find Kieri.
TWO
Kieri gripped the steering wheel with shaking hands and drove her car straight home. She didn’t dare look in the rearview mirror for fear of seeing Grant standing at the doorway of the club. Pent up ripples of her first orgasm hummed through her body, lingering desire for him gripped her heart, and regret mixed with already taxed emotions. She pulled into the garage, turned off the key and broke down in a fit of sobs. “Why can’t turning off your emotions be as easy as turning off a car’s motor?”
Weary from the exhaustive emotional rollercoaster Kieri stumbled into her kitchen. She locked and secured the door and leaned against it to regain some decorum of control. Feeling no more in control than when she arrived, she went to the front room, turned on the stereo and let the music fill her. She sat on her sofa and examined the night’s events and her emotions.
The last thing she needed was the song that popped on the stereo in the shuffle mode of her CD player. The song reminded her of Grant. In fact it was almost a song she would say was their song. Rick Sanford’s voice droned about walking away from a past love. Her heart contracted with torn emotions at seeing Grant. First she felt embarrassed. “God, the way I acted tonight. He must think I’m a slut.” Her mind recalled the searing kiss they shared, the daring comment he made about fulfilling a fantasy, her mouth watered as her body relived every touch of his fingers, hands and tongue. Her pussy oozed, her heart raced, and her breath caught at the sudden wave of regret. One part of her wished they did make love tonight. To know for certain Grant was the one she gave her first time too. And yet, she was glad nothing happened. “My first time should be in private…not in a club.” If she didn’t learn but one thing this, the loss of her virginity, would be something special.
Another song shuffled through and loaded on the player. Kieri chuckled. The very song played while she got ready to leave for the evening. She almost felt excited again, eager to try something new, but deep inside she had the answers to the questions about the club. The allure for the unknown trapped her into finding out, and now her only recommendation: it’s a good place for significant couples to experience together. “Who knows, maybe I will go there again…with that someone special.” The very idea almost crushed her, as images of Grant popped in her head. “How can I ever face him again?” Tears formed in her eye, clearing the image from her mind. “I wish I could go back and….” Do what? “I’ll be lucky to see him again. After this evening and the environment of that place I may never get the opportunity.”
Kieri slumped forward in defeat, consumed with embarrassment and regret; she chalked the night up to an experiment gone horribly awry. The casualty of her night out would be her future with Grant and the unfulfilled love she still had for him. I still love you, even after all these years.
THREE
Two weeks later...
Grant took a deep breath and calmed h
is stressed nerves. He looked through the car’s window at the small house beside him. It looks more like a weekend house rather than Kieri’s home. He got out of his car, picked up the panties and then tossed them back down on the seat. He decided to wait before returning them to her. Why? He didn’t have a clue. Slow and quiet, he walked up the steps of the small front porch. In a moment of hesitation he pulled back his hand and stood, listening to the sounds inside. Bass music boomed from the window next to him. Sly steps eased him to the partial opening in the blinds over the window; he peered inside to find Kieri dancing.
He watched in fascination at the sensual twists and bends her body contorted in a seductive tease. His cock hardened remembering her in his arms. Her mouth parted for a breath, but he imagined her lips parting for his kiss that night at the club. His heart raced while she moved and swayed to the tempo. All too soon for his liking, the music stopped and she bowed her head in rest. Her chest heaved to take in air. Flashbacks of their last night together invaded his thoughts: her panting chest in reaction to the oral lovemaking he performed. Her ponytail fell seductively down her shoulder to lie at her breast, he recalled the taste of them and that strong hunger grasped him again.
Damn! I can’t get this woman out of my mind!
He stepped away from the window, pulled at his crotch to adjust the seam of his jeans for comfort, and inhaled a steady breath. Confident and under control—somewhat—he rang the bell. He heard her soft footfalls before he saw her shadow hovering near the entry door’s window.
“Who is it?” She asked through the door.
“Kieri, it’s me, Grant.”
“Oh, hang on a moment,” she instructed from the other side.
Did she sound excited, or was she upset I’d come by? The moment she took to open the door felt like an hour. Grant never in his life felt this uneasy about women. But none of them were Kieri either. The door opened and all time stopped as she gazed wide-eyed at him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked simply.
Grant smiled at the nonchalant manners of her southern up-bringing. She shivered before his eyes. His stomach turned to mush, as did his cool player persona. His throat felt dry, his hands sweated for some reason, and now he feared speaking. “I came to see you.” He caught her subtle grin. Did she realize she held him by the short hairs with that smile? No, she couldn’t have.
“How did you find me?”
In her eyes he saw more than what her words conveyed. He saw the same emotional stress that he possessed; excitement, fear, need, and most of all a longing as big and deep as the ocean.
“It wasn’t hard really.”
“Come on in.” She stepped aside and let him into a small entryway. She led him to a sitting area on the left side of the makeshift dance floor. “Make yourself at home.” She made quick work of straightening pillows and patted a cushion for him.
Grant waited for her to sit down and noticed her shaky demeanor. Is she nervous too?
“Can I offer you anything?”
So quickly the reason for his visit came about, but no better time than the present to resolve issues. Ones he didn’t know he possessed until he saw her again. “Yes, an explanation.”
Kieri’s gaze lingered on him for a second longer than a casual perusal. Grant knew she hovered beyond her comfort level. He liked that, maybe he could get some straight answers from her, and God knows no one else seemed to have any lately.
“I don’t understand,” she stated softly, fidgeting in her chair. “What explanation do you want?”
“Where do you really work for starters? I also want to know what you meant by you’ve dreamed about me too? And most of all, the one question that I can’t get past is why you were at that club?”
Kieri narrowed her eyes, and Grant watched her toil with the questions. She started to speak but stopped and took a deep breath, “First of all, I’m an insurance claims investigator to pay the bills. I also have a quarter interest in a dance studio downtown.”
Grant smiled, “You’ve always wanted to own your own studio,” he pointed out a fact from their past.
“Yes, and now that dream is a reality. I, or we’ve worked hard to get our name out there.”
Kieri folded her legs under her in her chair—a strong sign of relaxing, getting comfortable, which made Grant less worried about her giving false information.
“To answer your next question, yes I do dream of you often. If truth be known you were my first love. It’s hard to forget your first…love.”
That one comment sparked the question in his heart. “Kieri,” he moved from the sofa and squatted down in front of her, taking her hands into his. “I would like to ask you one simple question, but you’ll think it’s the hardest one to answer.”
She notched her head. “Okay. What is your question?”
“Are you still a virgin?”
Kieri’s face turned red, her breathing came in erratic draws and exhalations. She looked like she wanted to run away, not face the truth. “That is a hard one. The question of all questions.”
Grant gently squeezed her hand, “Yes, and I’d like an answer.” His eyes took her in; long blonde hair touched her shoulders, hazel eyes watched his every move with anticipation, nervousness, and she fidgeted. Long legs tucked under her gave the impression of a little girl, but he knew better. She sighed a shuddering breath. This was the one woman he longed for in all these years, and right now he needed to know if she felt the same way.
“Grant, I know you’re a little peeved with me about the other night, and maybe in a way I deserve it.” She shifted on the couch, brought her knees to her chest.
Typical defensive stance. “How do you figure?”
“Well, going to that place made a silent statement in a way…didn’t it?”
Grant eased back. “Depends on the statement you are trying to make.”
“I was just curious. I wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about.”
“What did you find out?”
She gnawed on her bottom lip with her top teeth. “I found…old feelings never die.”
Grant came closer. “What old feelings? Tell me,” he encouraged when he saw uncertainty flash in her eyes. “It’s all right. The truth will set you free.”
Kieri laughed. “That’s what my momma says.”
“Wise woman,” he agreed. “Not forthcoming with too many details, but between she and your dad I figured out the address of the dance studio and followed you home last night.”
She jerked up, almost knocking him over. “You what?” she ripped through gritted teeth.
Grant stood up. Dumb ass! “What?” he asked, playing dumb.
“You followed me home?”
Grant shrugged off the offensive line Kieri took up. “Uh-huh.”
She jabbed a finger in his direction. “What do you think you were doing following me?”
He leaned back slightly to avoid the last jab which may have found a mark on his chest. “Protecting you. Good thing too, you need to be more careful about where you go, how you answer the door, and—”
“Look, I don’t need protection. I damn sure don’t need you telling me how to be careful, and for your information, I’ve been able to take care of myself for a few years now. So, thanks but….”
“Oh get over it,” he shot back silencing her tirade of protests. “You and I both know I didn’t follow you home for your protection. Now, answer my question.”
“It’s none of your business!” She glared at him, deep heaving gasps of breath lifted her chest, her eyes misted with tears, her face flushed with anger.
And yet, the only sight Grant interpreted was the passion that drove her. He longed to receive that passion, but first he had to calm her down, give her a second to realize his intentions. “You’re right. It isn’t any of my business, but it does concern me.”
Kieri broke the glare and bowed her head. “How does my virginity concern you?”
Grant dared a step closer. He
stood his ground in front of her, cupped his hands for her to see no offensive intended. “That club isn’t the type of place to experience lasting relationships. And it’s hardly the place for your first time. That should be somewhere special; with someone you respect…hold dear…love.”
Kieri stared at him for a moment, confusion replaced her anger. Then, her eyes misted with new tears. “Are you giving me lectures or do you have something to say?”
The emotional question grabbed Grant’s heart. “My concern is,” he cupped her cheek. “I still care about you, Kieri. I’ve never stopped. When I came home from school that first spring and found your family gone, I was devastated. No one knew how to contact you.”
Fat tears fell from her eyes and spilled down her cheek. Soft hiccups of sobs melted her defensive. He pulled her into his arms. “I felt my whole world shatter that day. I almost couldn’t bear it,” he confessed, his own eyes blurred with welling tears. “When I saw you at the club that night, I almost had a heart attack. I thought I was dreaming at first.” He set her away from him to gaze into her eyes. “Then when you left, I thought...there was no way in hell I’d let you out of my life again.” He walked her to the sofa and sat down with her, holding her hand. “I went to talk to that Daniela chick, but she was a pain in the ass. I even flashed my badge, little good that did me.”
“So you’re a cop,” Kieri stated. “And at the club, our dance and, the, the other… That was simply some police thing?”
“Yes—I mean no! Actually, I’m a Vice Detective. I was undercover that night following up a lead on a drug dealer, but when I saw you…my job had to wait. That night, with us—with you, that was real. I would have called you sooner, but I had to pick up and close the case.”
