by S. Walden
“You would still have a relationship with your parents had I not come into the picture,” he pointed out.
“You coming into the picture shed light on my tenuous relationship with my parents,” she explained.
“Tenuous. I like that word.”
“I just used it in an English paper. Still fresh in my mind,” Cadence said.
Mark chuckled.
“Look at me,” she demanded.
He pulled her skate off, then looked at her face.
“Do you think for a minute that I feel like it was a big mistake starting a relationship with you?” she asked.
“I hope not.”
“It wasn’t. I know I was meant to be with you. And I don’t care who accepts it and who doesn’t. Fuck ‘em because I love you. And you were given to me. I recognized that from the beginning.”
“And who gave me to you?” he asked.
“God.”
Mark thought for a moment. “You know, you like to credit God for every good thing . . .” He blushed.
Cadence grinned. “You can say you’re a good thing because you are. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Mark squeezed her foot. “I just meant that even when it’s people doing nice things for you, you always credit God.”
“You think he’s not using those people to help me?” She draped her other leg over his knees, and he went to work on her skate.
“I never thought of it that way,” Mark said.
“Well, that’s because you’re angry with God and cut yourself off from him. Doesn’t mean he can’t still use you for his purpose. He uses people all the time who don’t believe in him.”
“Puppets, huh?” Mark asked, sliding off her skate.
“No.”
“Chess pieces?”
Cadence paused then leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“I will never understand your pain,” she whispered. “I don’t think I’m supposed to. But I’m here. Always. And I’ll come skate with you whenever you want.”
Mark tensed.
“And if you need to talk about Andy and your loss, you can. Anytime. If you wanna talk about your dad, I’m here. I may not be able to understand, but I’ll listen. I’ll comfort you. Because I love you, Mark. You were meant to heal my heart last year when I was lonely and lost. I think maybe I’m meant to heal yours, too.”
Mark looked out on the floor as he absent-mindedly rubbed Cadence’s foot.
“You realize I didn’t even make it a full circle around the rink?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Baby steps.”
“Gotcha.”
He turned to her once more. “You ready, Sweet Cheeks?”
She nodded and leaned in for another kiss. It was an innocent roller rink kiss. No tongue. No deep-seated passion. Just a boy-and-girl-on-a-date kiss. He drew back and smiled at her.
“I’ll behave the next time,” he promised.
“Okay,” she replied.
They walked out of the rink leaving their baggage on the waxed floor.
***
“Hey, this sounds familiar,” Cadence said, rounding the corner of the kitchen.
Mark hovered over the record player.
“I should hope so,” he replied, watching the vinyl spin. “One of the best love songs of all time.”
“I know this song,” Cadence said. She thought for a moment. “This is a Killers song!”
“Oh. My. God.”
“What?” she cried. “It is!”
“No, honey. No, it’s not. They covered it. But this is a Dire Straits song,” Mark explained. “Give credit where it’s due, okay?”
“Never heard of them,” Cadence replied, shrugging.
Mark turned around and took Cadence in his arms. He sighed patiently. “Thank God you’re dating me.”
She burst out laughing.
“Wanna slow dance?”
She grinned. “You know I can’t dance.”
“I don’t know about that,” Mark said. “Your Tori Amos interpretive dance was pretty good.”
Cadence giggled. “That was just silly. I’m talking real dancing. I’d do better to stand on your feet and let you move us around.”
Mark looked at her thoughtfully. “You know, if you’d have said that to me a year ago, I might have agreed. But you’re not a little girl anymore.”
Cadence shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
“But you’re my girl,” Mark said, pulling her close. “And you’re little.”
She looked up at him and smiled.
“Put those little arms around me,” he said.
She complied, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Just follow my lead,” he whispered, moving her side to side.
They danced to the story of Romeo and Juliet, and Cadence thought it couldn’t be more fitting. Forbidden love. The world against them. Well, maybe not the whole world. Just the right amount of melodrama. Mark kissed her neck and hummed the tune in her ear. She kept stepping on his feet until he finally picked her up and let her legs dangle as he continued around the living room.
“See,” she said softly. “Should have let me stand on your feet.”
He chuckled and squeezed her tightly.
“I love you, Cadence.”
She pressed her mouth to his and spoke against his lips.
“I love you, too,” she replied. “Now put me down.”
He looked at her confused but did as she asked, setting her on her feet and watching as she strode to the record player. She stopped the player and put away the vinyl.
“But it wasn’t over yet,” Mark objected.
“I’m over it. I’m over anything sweet and sappy and tears-inducing and heavy and deep. You got it?”
Mark cracked a smile and nodded.
“Now go sit on the couch. Well, wait. Move that coffee table aside and then sit on the couch.”
He had no idea what she was up to, but he was intrigued. And turned on. He liked when she bossed him around. He sank into the couch and waited for her next demand.
“You have an obsession with ass,” she said thoughtfully. “I thought this could be your theme song. I heard it last year on the radio.”
She pressed PLAY on the CD player, and Mark listened as the whine of an R&B song filled the apartment.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” he laughed, watching her walk to the center of the living room.
“I should have taken a shot first,” she mumbled to herself as she bent her upper body side to side. Next, she did overhead tricep stretches, and Mark stared at her, confused. She dropped her arms and looked him straight in the eyes. “Okay. Here goes. You want my ass? You’ve gotta beg me for it.”
Cadence spun around and rolled her hips from side to side to the beat of the song. Mark watched, noting how round and perky her backside looked in her skinny jeans. It was monstrously unfair, the way she teased him. He reached out to touch her, but she swatted his hand away.
“Nuh uh,” she said, running her hands all over her thighs and bottom. “I can’t slow dance, but I can bump and grind.”
“Fuck. Yeah,” Mark replied, gawking at her tiny frame moving fluidly to the most ridiculous song he’d ever heard. Some guy searching for booty. Obsessed with it, really. But he liked it. And he liked her. He especially liked her dancing for him. Not sad Cadence when she danced to Tori Amos. Not scared Cadence when he took her to the club. Not stumbling Cadence when he held her in his arms and rocked her to the soft melody of “Romeo and Juliet.” Nope. This was sexy, exhibitionist Cadence, and he thought he’d come in his pants when she looked over her shoulder, grinned at him seductively, and shook her tiny hips.
“Get over here,” he said huskily.
“Nope. I’m not done,” she argued, turning to face him.
“Yes, you are,” he replied.
“I’ll be your personal stripper,” she purred.
“Oh my God,” he breathed. He looked down. “Cadence, I’m hard as a rock. Please
come here.”
“Nope,” she said.
She pulled her shirt over her head. And then she did a sultry move where she bent over, ran her hands slowly up the front of her legs, then ended standing upright with a finger in her mouth. She shook her hips again.
“I learned that from Carmen Electra’s Aerobic Striptease.”
Mark’s mouth hung open.
“I’ve been practicing with Avery.”
All he could do was nod.
She wiggled out of her jeans and tossed them to him.
“You wanna see some floor moves?” she asked.
He stared at her through bug eyes.
“Mark?” she asked, grinning.
“Here. Now.” That was all he managed to get out.
“But don’t you wanna see me gyrate on the floor?”
“Yeah. Under me,” he replied.
She cracked up. And then she pounced on him, straddling his hips and sinking her teeth in his neck.
“Ouch!”
“Am I sexy?” she whispered.
“So fucking sexy,” he replied. “I want you to dance for me like that every night.”
She sat up and looked at him. “What are you gonna do for me?”
“Anything,” he said quickly. “Whatever the hell you want.”
She chuckled then leaned in and whispered the dirtiest thing he’d ever heard.
“Are you sure?” he asked. His face sported the widest grin.
She nodded. “But I’ll have to take a shot first.”
“I’ll give you the whole bottle, Sweet Cheeks,” he replied. He tossed her over his shoulder, stood up, and walked with purpose to the kitchen. He grabbed the vodka and headed for the bedroom.
“Who booty, babe?” she squealed when he dumped her on the bed.
“Yours, Cadence. Only yours. Now use correct grammar and turn over so I can smack that booty around,” he ordered.
She laughed. “Not like the last time!” she warned.
“Oh, this’ll be sweet punishment,” he said, popping her bottom. “And you’re gonna love it.”
She squirmed and shrieked as he slid her panties off. And then he set to work delivering his promise to do whatever she wanted. She thought it was all for her, but he knew better.
Cadence watched him surreptitiously as she sat in the dining room. He lay sprawled on the couch watching the NCAA basketball championship that he’d recorded, and she wondered if now would be a good time to ask. She was nervous as hell—no experience, no idea what to expect—but she thought she ought to get it over and done with. And didn’t he deserve it? After all, she tortured him emotionally for two months. Sure, he spanked the hell out of her for it, but she didn’t feel like that absolved her of her crimes. She wanted to show him how sorry she was, even if she didn’t do it well.
She walked into the living room and stood directly in front of him.
“What’s up?” he asked, looking at her face.
“I wanna suck your dick,” she replied.
Mark froze and said nothing.
Cadence grew flustered. “So . . .” She looked around the room. “Um, take your pants off.”
Mark grinned.
“Well, go on,” she demanded.
“Cadence, I don’t know if now’s the right time,” Mark said. “You look . . . well, you look terrified.”
“I’m not terrified,” she lied.
He eyed her curiously. “Why now?”
“Because I want to. Stop asking me questions and unzip your pants!”
“Seriously. Why now?”
“Because I still feel guilty about everything!” she cried. “And I want to try to make it up to you. I mean, I already know I’ll be terrible at it. Just, don’t expect too much, okay? But a girl’s gotta learn at some point.” She thought for a moment. “I did some online research.”
Mark suppressed the grin. “You don’t have to make anything up to me. Everything is forgiven and forgotten. Remember? We left it at the rink.”
She smiled at that. Mark sat up.
“I don’t think we left everything,” Cadence said quietly. “And anyway, you do that to me all the time. I should reciprocate. I mean, I want to. But you’re right. I’m terrified because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Mark thought for a moment. “To be honest, I’m kinda glad you don’t. There’d be something really off about you if you were an expert at giving head. Wouldn’t fit, you know?”
She nodded.
“I don’t want you thinking you’ve gotta make things even or do a bunch of stuff to make up for those two months. I hurt you just as much, if not more. But we’ve apologized and forgiven each other. The slate’s been wiped clean.”
“Fine,” Cadence said. “Then I wanna do it because I want to.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” She knew he didn’t believe her. But there was no arguing with her. She had it in her mind to give him a blowjob, and she wouldn’t let it go until she got her way.
“There’s no making you understand, is there?” he asked softly.
She shook her head.
“And after I come in your mouth, you’ll be forgiven?”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re gonna come in my mouth?” she breathed.
He nodded, grinning.
“Well, now wait a minute,” she said uncertainly. “I thought maybe I’d stop right before you came, and you can just do it all over your stomach or something.”
He shook his head. “That’s no fun.”
Cadence bit her lower lip. He watched her brows furrow and imagined her brain working overtime, trying to figure out how to at once be absolved of her sins and not take his come in her mouth. He burst out laughing.
“What?” she cried indignantly.
“Cadence, I won’t come in your mouth,” he said.
“No no, you can,” she replied. “I mean, I think you can.”
He sighed. “Do we even need to do this right now? I’m watching the championship.”
“You’ll take a game over a blowjob?”
He debated. Both were equally exciting because for one, his team was winning, and two, Cadence was a virgin blower. A virgin blower. Was that really all it took to get him rock hard? He felt the instant ache for her mouth on him and made a decision. He unzipped his pants and pulled out his penis.
“Have at it,” he said, draping his arms on the back of the couch.
Cadence licked her lips and kneeled in front of him. She wrapped her fingers around his penis and looked up. She shrugged, waiting for further instruction.
“Why don’t you try licking the tip first,” he suggested.
She took a deep breath, leaned over, and ran her tongue over the head. He closed his eyes and realized in that second that her blowjob would be far more exciting than the game.
“Mark?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not expected to put your entire dick in my mouth, am I?”
“Sure you are,” he replied, and cracked open one eye. Her mouth hung open in disbelief, and he chuckled. “I’m kidding.”
“Phew!” she breathed. “Because I’d choke.”
“Thanks for the compliment,” he replied. “Now why don’t you put your tongue on me again.”
She leaned over once more and swirled her tongue over his head. She tasted the tiniest bit of salted precome and thought she was doing something right. She moved her hand farther down his shaft and took more of him in her mouth. Her teeth grazed his flesh, and he hissed.
“Watch the teeth,” he instructed.
“Sorry,” she mumbled with her mouth full.
Her hair hung forward, tickling his stomach, and he lifted it up and out of the way so he could watch her. She sat up suddenly.
“What do I do? Just, like, bob my head up and down?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “You can make it really wet and then stroke it with your hand. Right here.” He showed her by wrapping his hand around his penis right under the head. “Mov
e your mouth on me in the same motion as your hand. That feels really good.”
She nodded and went to work, bobbing her head on him and inadvertently drooling in the process. He felt her throat constrict when she took too much of him in her mouth, and he thought he could come right then. She pulled back and coughed and spluttered.
“Tough, huh?” he asked, watching her wipe spit from her chin.
“This is no joke!” she said, and he laughed. “I’m serious, Mark! There’s a lot of stuff going on down there. My mouth already hurts.”
“Poor baby,” he replied, stroking her cheek. “Now get to it.”
“Mark!” she squealed, slapping his thigh.
“Suck my cock, you little feral animal.”
She ran her fingernails down his thighs leaving faint white lines on his jeans.
“Exactly,” he whispered. “Feral.”
She grabbed his penis and squeezed. And then she looked at him surprised. She thought he’d yelp.
“Do it again,” he said.
She squeezed harder, staring up at him through wide eyes.
“Put your mouth on me.”
She bent to her work, sucking his dick like the feral creature he described, stroking him with her hand like he showed her, trying desperately to make him come before she got lockjaw. She never knew a blowjob could be so much work, and her most difficult task was teeth placement. She tried to keep them out of the way, but her mouth was tiny. Didn’t he know that? She thought she told him she had four teeth removed because her mouth couldn’t hold all thirty-two. She was sure she told him.
Mark groaned as her lips moved up and down over his shaft. Her hand/mouth coordination wasn’t exactly synced, but that wouldn’t keep him from coming. He helped her out once, but her timing was soon off again, and he rather enjoyed watching her clumsy job instead of instructing her. He didn’t want her to do it any other way. There was something completely animal about it—her mouth moving by instinct even if her hand couldn’t quite keep up.
He was there before he knew it.
“Cadence . . .”
“Mmmm?”
“Move.”
She wouldn’t. He didn’t know what she thought she had to prove, but he hadn’t the time to figure it out. He exploded in her mouth a split second after choking out the words, “Tongue. Back!” She didn’t understand and squealed on his penis as he came in her. His semen hit the back of her throat, triggered her gag reflex, and she dry heaved then spit all over his jeans.
