Coming Soon
Page 1
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
WOMEN’S ORGASM EROTICA
EDITED BY
RACHEL KRAMER BUSSEL
Copyright © 2021 by Rachel Kramer Bussel.
All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio, television, or online reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published in the United States by Cleis Press an imprint of Start Midnight, LLC, 221 River Street, Ninth Floor, Hoboken, NJ 07030.
Printed in the United States.
Cover design: Jennifer Do
Cover image: Shutterstock
Text design: Frank Wiedemann
First Edition.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Trade paper ISBN: 978-1-62778-305-7
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62778-518-1
Contents
Introduction: Women’s Orgasms as Journey and Destination
Read to Me • CC BRIDGES
I’m Her • HENRY CORRIGAN
Tracing the Edge • LOUISE KANE
Love and Porn in a Retirement Home • CLAIRE CUPP
Remote Vibrations • Z. ESMÉ MENDOZA
Exceptional Service • T.C. MILL
Adorn • NICO MURRAY
Envy • EVAN MORA
The Voice in Your Head • VICTORIA DIANE
Multiple Gifts • ANUJA VARGHESE
House of Fingers • SIENNA SAINT-CYR
Business Trip • ELLA DAWSON
After • KATRINA JACKSON
Belts Have Tongues • VELVET MOORE
The Electricity of a Dark Peak • D.L. KING
What You Need • ANGELA ADDAMS
Kindness • GABRIELLE JOHNSON
The (Re)Education of Truvi Anderson • RENEE DOMINICK
The Size of Love • SALLY BEND
Antarctica • DONNA GEORGE STOREY
About the Authors
About the Editor
INTRODUCTION: WOMEN’S ORGASMS AS JOURNEY AND DESTINATION
We may all think we know what an orgasm looks and feels like, but orgasms are also personal, each one special and unique. For women, orgasms can take many forms, and you’ll find many of them here in these twenty erotic stories. In “Read to Me” by CC Bridges, after meeting in a bookstore, Elise gets aroused by having Jake read erotic passages from books to her in his sensual voice. This story is any book lover’s very wet dream.
We discover a restaurant that offers quite the “Exceptional Service,” in T.C. Mill’s tale of a delicious threesome between a waitress and her very pleased customers, and an act of “Kindness” that’s repaid with several different kinds of sexual favors from a sexy stranger in Gabrielle Johnson’s evocative story. In Victoria Diane’s futuristic story “The Voice in Your Head,” Hitomi finds the most intimate kind of relief in the form of artificial intelligence, with a device that knows precisely what she needs, and is able to give it to her in ways nothing else can.
In some of these stories, the passion between the characters leaps off the page, the desire for their lover fierce and urgent. In others, it’s about the fantasy, the possibility, the thrill of what is and what could be combined, such as in “I’m Her,” in which Henry Corrigan writes, “In the darkness behind her eyes she remade him into what she needed most. Simply a man who would let her ride him the way she wanted, whose hands were strong and could be taught.”
Some of these tales are full of filthy fantasies, while others evoke the ways experiences like childbirth affect women’s approach to sex, such as in “After” by Katrina Jackson, as Damon kisses the narrator’s stretch marks, then uses her new vibrator, and his tongue, on her. In “Remote Vibrations” by Z. Esm⃩ Mendoza, lovers kept apart by social distancing find creative ways to keep their sex lives thriving.
You’ll find in these tales, women’s orgasm—or in the case of “Multiple Gifts” by Anuja Varghese, orgasms—is a journey and a destination. In some, they take their time, while in others, it’s the fast, urgent rush that makes their climax so powerful.
In this book, you’ll find women and nonbinary characters who take and find pleasure in a wide variety of ways, from posing nude for a photographer who has a very hands-on approach to attending a women’s sex retreat, watching porn in a retirement home, or attending a sex party. They discover that what makes them come, what makes them ache, what makes them yearn, doesn’t always stay the same throughout their lives, but can be an ongoing process of learning mixed with yearning. These discoveries, such as in “The (Re)Education of Truvi Anderson” by Renee Dominick and “The Size of Love” by Sally Bend, are revelatory. Whether it’s the taboo nature of a relationship between a younger woman and her boss in “Business Trip” by Ella Dawson or being ordered to get as close as possible to orgasm without actually going all the way in “Tracing the Edge” by Louise Kane, these stories bring women’s desires to vivid life.
The twenty sexy stories in Coming Soon don’t include every type of orgasm under the sun, but they do offer a window into the ways orgasms, whether by their own touch, a lover or lover’s, or sex toys, can transport you, make you come (pun intended) alive, make you breathless. I hope these stories do that for you, however, whenever and wherever you read them.
Rachel Kramer Bussel
READ TO ME
CC Bridges
Later, much later, she’d tell her friends that she’d met him at the bookstore.
A-Mazed Books sat between Elise’s favorite coffee shop and a store that sold artisanal soap. The combination made for a rather interesting mix of scents when she walked this street on her way to work at the public library. At least they were good smells—the rich aroma of coffee or a lush mix of cedar and lavender.
She had no such luck at work. Who could blame her for slowing her steps as she passed this part of the block, her coat open in deference to the warming spring weather, her nose in the air to capture whatever delicious scents wafted her way?
Something caught her eye in the window of the bookstore. A single book in the back of the display, it looked almost like it had been placed there accidentally. In vivid black and white, a woman’s face had been caught in the moment of pleasure: her eyes scrunched tight, her mouth wide in the middle of a shout, and her hands cupping her own breasts. What was that book doing there mixed with the typical bestsellers? Maybe someone had added it as a joke.
Not wanting to go home and face her empty apartment, she decided to investigate. She always felt a bit guilty actually purchasing books for herself. Better to support the library. But they didn’t have that title at her library. Elise pushed open the glass door and set off the jangle of the bell above it. Inside, books ruled the land, all set up in unique patterns—a pyramid built like a house of cards on a square table right in front of her, a shelf where all the spines had been arranged by color. There was no organizational scheme that she could see and, as a librarian, that offended her soul.
But the arrangement pulled her in, made her want to explore. Who knew what lay behind that pile of books laid in a spiral? The name of the place made sense, suddenly. She found herself in a true maze.
The book that had taunted her from the street sat within reach. Elise pulled it off the display and stepped out of view of the tall window. Stories of Lust and Lace read the title, which she hadn’t been able to see from outside. She flipped to the back copy.
Fourteen stories to amaze and arouse. Be prepared to read the most explicit, the most sensual, the most erotic of tales. If you don’t get off, we’ve done our job wrong.
She smiled. “What, no money back guarantee?”
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“That’s one of our bestsellers.”
Elise dropped the book.
The speaker had a voice that sounded like whiskey tasted— smooth and chased by warmth. The rumble of it reached her down to her toes and she nearly shivered.
“Let me get that for you.”
If he’d stop talking for five seconds, Elise might be able to compose herself. Instead she stood with her mouth agape as he approached. He looked almost as good as he sounded—dark curls framed a face with a salt and pepper beard and sleepy bedroom eyes. When he smiled, it reached those eyes, giving them delightful little crinkles.
“Thank you,” Elise said despite her dry mouth, as he bent down to grab the book. She tried not to notice the way his jeans framed his ass.
It hit her suddenly, as he stood and held out the book, how much like a librarian she looked today. Beneath her coat she wore a pencil skirt and blouse, with a scarf patterned with images of cats tied around her neck. At least she hadn’t put her light brown hair into a bun; no, that would have been too much.
Why did she always do this to herself? Bookstore guy might be hot as hell, but she was just another customer. She shouldn’t be imagining things that weren’t there.
“Are you going to purchase it? I can ring you up over here.” He gestured to the register, hidden behind another tall display of books. She wouldn’t have seen it if he hadn’t pointed it out. He seemed to notice her hesitation. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. One of our policies is not to judge what people read.”
She took the book from him, their fingers brushing against each other. He had sturdy hands, the kind used to dealing with large boxes of stock. “That’s what we say at the library. Every book its reader.”
He grinned. Elise bought the book.
She couldn’t help but read the words in his voice. Stories of lust and lace were much improved when they came with a deep rumble. The thought of it had her squirming in the café seat and for a moment she wished she’d left the book at home.
On Wednesdays Elise worked the late shift and often spent her mornings reading in her favorite coffee shop before heading to the library. Of course she’d started the book last night, but had only managed one story before taking matters into her own hands—and the hands of her capable vibrator. She’d come so hard she’d nearly blacked out.
If only she could do the same when actually with a man.
She took a sip of her latte, enjoying the creaminess of the milk and the sweetness of the mocha syrup. Elise preferred her coffee doctored as much as possible when she had the time to enjoy it. Some mornings at the library necessitated twenty ounces of black coffee straight into her veins, so when she had the time, she made sure to savor it.
“Good morning.”
Elise nearly spit out her coffee. She swallowed abruptly, and stared up at the familiar face of the bookstore clerk from yesterday. He held a paper cup with a name visible in black marker—Jake. It suited him.
“Hi,” she finally got out.
“Would you mind if I sat with you?”
Her heart pounded so loudly she was sure he could hear it. His voice still aroused her, especially the way he had to speak to be heard in the busy coffee shop. What would it be like to hear him whisper?
“Please.” She gestured to the empty chair across from her.
Jake sat. “I see you here every Wednesday, but I’ve never had the courage to speak to you.”
She blushed, embarrassed that she’d never noticed him before. All he had to do was speak and then the rest of the world disappeared. “Elise,” she said, pointing to the name on her cup.
He laughed and gestured with his own. “Jake.” He held out his hand for her to shake.
She didn’t want to let go. His palm was warm, his hand large, enveloping hers completely. The touch sent tingles all up her arm.
“You’ve never come into my bookshop before.”
“Your bookshop?”
“Well, I do own it.” He grinned, that adorable crooked smile again. Elise thought her cheeks would never cool down if she kept blushing like this—to say nothing about other parts of her body.
“It was your window display,” she admitted, although that wasn’t the entire truth. She put her hand over the paperback on the table.
He noticed. “Is that the book? Did you seriously put a cover on it?”
“I didn’t want any nosy café people to look too closely.”
“And a brown paper cover isn’t conspicuous at all. You, my dear, need an e-reader.”
She laughed. “And then what excuse would I have to visit your shop again?”
It felt nice to flirt. She’d been so closed off since Len left. No, she wouldn’t let his nasty memory ruin her perfectly wonderful morning. Screw Len. He was in the past.
Jake brought his hand to his chin and rubbed his beard, looking thoughtful. “Hmmm. I’d have to woo you with more tales of lust and lace.”
“Honestly all you’d have to do is read them aloud. You’d have a line out the door.”
“They are that good then? The stories?”
She hesitated. Elise considered saying nothing at all. But she’d spent too much of her life being quiet and she was ready to finally be heard. “They’d be better with you reading them. Hasn’t anyone told you before? Your voice, it’s like”—she sighed—“sex on a stick.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment and Elise wondered if she’d offended him. But Jake didn’t grab his coffee and leave, so that was a plus.
He grinned. This time the movement was slow, and resulted in a filthy, sensual smile. “You know, the bookstore is closed on Wednesdays, and I just got a shipment of new books from this publisher.” He put his hand over hers, which still covered the book. “Want to come see? I’ll read the titles out loud to you, and you can tell me which one interests you the most.”
There went her heart again, pounding against her ribcage like it wanted out. Elise took one final sip of her latte. “I’m in.”
Navigating the bookstore in the dark had its own set of challenges. The place was a trip hazard even fully illuminated. The third time Elise ran into a table, Jake took her hand, making her gasp at his touch. Heat flared through her with anticipation.
He turned back and winked at her. She bit her lip to keep from giggling as they made it to the storage room in the back. When Jake let go of her hand to unlock the door, she rubbed her palm, missing the warmth of his skin against hers.
“This is the secret lair of the bookstore,” she joked before following him in. There wasn’t much back here, actually. A few boxes were stacked in a corner, a table with scissors and other packing material in the center, and some metal shelving along the walls.
“Most of my stock goes directly to the floor. I need a place to unpack it all, you know?” Jake walked over to the wall of boxes, picked one up, and put it on the table. The side of it had been stamped with “EroLight Publishing.”
“There are actually books,” she said in wonder.
He used a box cutter to slit the tape covering the top. Elise couldn’t keep her eyes off his hands, the way they used the tool with practiced ease. What else would those hands be good at doing?
She swallowed and forced herself to look away. Elise slipped out of her coat, setting it on the back of a folding chair, along with her purse. Her turtleneck seemed too tight against her chest, and she was too aware of her breasts suddenly, and how they longed to be touched.
“Ah, here we go. Nice selection. I usually get about five copies per title.” Jake pulled out a paperback with a black cover and nothing but a close-up of a red rose. Petals of Pleasure. His voice lowered as he continued to read, “When Jaqueline accepts the invitation to attend a party on a private island she is introduced to a world she’s never seen before. A world of hedonistic pleasure.”
Elise clutched the back of the chair, her fingers wrapped up in the fabric of her coat. “Go on.”
Jake didn’t look up from the text. His ey
elids were lowered, exposing the length of his eyelashes to her view. He had beautiful eyes. “Billionaire Richard Rose—ah, that’s where the picture comes from—usually throws away his playthings after he’s done with them. But Jaqueline is different. When the weekend comes to an end, he can’t bear to let her go. Will she stay as his willing slave to love? Hmm. I wonder what she’s going to choose?”
That was it. Elise couldn’t hold herself back a second longer.
She touched Jake’s cheek, causing him to look up from the book, his eyes wide. His beard felt so soft against her palm. Elise leaned forward, and he did the same. Their lips met, first a little too quickly, and she needed to pull back, but then, oh then, they kissed.
He tasted like coffee and smelled like brand new paper. Jake put his arms around her waist and pulled her tight against him. She could feel his erection through his jeans, her plaid skirt barely a barrier between them. If she hadn’t been wet before from his reading—fuck, just his reading—that awareness of him would have done it.
And his kisses . . . Jake kissed like he read, focused completely on her, each press of his lips against hers deeper and deeper. When she stepped back, he moved with her in a dance until she was slammed up against the wall. His hand left her waist to trail up her side, caressing the side of her breast. She strained toward him, wanting him to touch.
But first she had to tell him. “Jake.” She pulled away and licked her lips. A taste of him remained and she savored it.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I should slow down . . .”
Oh, he was sweet as pie, and somehow that made her want him even more. “It’s not that. I am definitely interested. It’s . . . I can’t come with a guy.”
He blinked. “What?”
She looked away. “My last boyfriend, he said I was frigid. No matter what he did, I couldn’t ever reach that peak. I wanted you to know so you wouldn’t be upset when I didn’t . . . ”
“No.” Jake took her shoulders and looked at her, really looked at her, those dark eyes pouring into her soul. “That guy sounds like an asshole.”