by Harlow James
Rachel turns to me, her face full of elation. “Luke! You didn’t have to do this.”
“I know I didn’t. I wanted to.”
“Oh, my God. I’m so excited,” she squeals as we finish the final few twists and turns that allow us to arrive at our destination.
When we enter the Hyatt Lake Observatory, Rachel’s eyes begin to bug out of her head.
“I’ve never been to one of these before,” she admits as she spins around with her head pointed up to the sky visible through the opening in the dome.
“We’re a far smaller establishment than most, but our little astronomy society has kept this place operational for years.” The voice of the fragile man walking up to us pulls our attention to the left.
“Theodore.” I acknowledge him and then reach out to shake his hand.
“Luke. Nice to see you. It’s strange not seeing you around town in your cruiser and khaki and green anymore.”
Looking over at Rachel, I notice she’s still perusing the room. “Yeah, needed a change. I’m teaching at Ashland Community College now.”
“That’s what I heard. Do you like it?”
I nod reassuringly. “Yeah, I do.”
“Then that’s all that matters. How’s that boy of yours?”
And that brightens my mood instantly. “Oh, he’s a hoot. Just turned five.”
“No kidding? That doesn’t seem possible. Although, then I guess that means Hannah’s been gone almost as long, huh?” Theodore has been a resident of Emerson Falls for decades. He and his wife owned a little café that his daughter now owns and runs. His wife and he retired to Hyatt Lake, which is a lakeside town nestled up in the mountains adjacent to Emerson Falls, and apparently now he helps operate this facility. Theodore has known me my entire life, watched me grow up and get married, so he obviously knows about Hannah. Everyone in the town did.
“Yeah, it has. But tonight is about Rachel. Rach?” I call her over, my heart strumming wildly as I watch her glide to where I’m standing. Hannah is in the back of my mind at the moment, but the sight of my date helps me refocus on why I’m here.
“Theo, this is Rachel, my nanny and my date.” I introduce them and they shake hands.
“Nice to meet you. Thank you for keeping the place open for us.”
“No problem. When Luke called, I knew it had to be for someone special.” He winks.
“Well, I’m thrilled.”
“Just let me know if you two need anything. The telescope is already calibrated, so have at it. Clear skies tonight make for the perfect star-gazing conditions.” Theo grins and then makes himself scarce as I follow Rachel over to the massive telescope stationed in the center of the room.
“Do you know how to work this thing?” I whisper in her ear as she lines up her eye to the scope.
“Well, I’ve never looked through one this big, but I’m sure it’s just like the smaller ones I used with my grandpa.” Rachel swivels the apparatus a bit and then stops on something she sees. “Here, take a look.” I close in on the eyepiece this time and see the crystal clear picture before me of so many stars it’s impossible to count.
“Wow. So what am I looking at?”
“Do you see the four bright stars that form sort of a rectangle?”
I nod while still looking into the tube. “Uh huh…”
“And then there’s three more stars that angle out from one of the corners, that kind of form a handle or a string on a kite?”
“Yes…”
“That’s the big dipper.” I stand and find her smiling from ear to ear.
“That’s like, the easiest constellation to find,” I chide.
She just shrugs. “I know. But it’s my favorite one.”
“Why?”
“Because it was the first one my grandpa showed me. Obviously because it was the easiest, but that didn’t matter to me. It was the memory that I fell in love with, how he showed me pictures in the stars from then on out and made me fall in love with the stories.”
“Aren’t they all Greek gods or something?”
“Mostly, according to legend and astronomers. The one I actually love the most is Cassiopeia.”
“What’s that story about?”
I listen to Rachel recount a tale of an egotistical woman who was so full of herself that she told Poseidon, king of the sea, that she was more beautiful than all of his daughters put together. He apparently created a sea monster to destroy her kingdom in Ethiopia she ruled with her husband, Cepheus. Much to Poseidon’s dismay, the kingdom survived and she continued to flaunt her beauty. Next, she challenged Hera, queen of the Gods, to say she was more beautiful than her. Hera didn’t take this lightly though and tied Cassiopeia to her throne with rope, throwing her so hard and fast into the sky that she got stuck in the stars for all eternity, hanging upside down. Her husband was distraught with his wife’s circumstances and couldn’t bear the thought of living without her, so he begged Zeus to banish him to the sky as well. Relenting after his pleading, Zeus cast Cepheus to the stars right next to Cassiopeia, where they remained together and in love for all eternity.
When she’s done, I can’t help but assess the tale. “So your favorite story is about a vain woman that thought she was such hot shit, she got herself imprisoned in the sky?”
Rachel laughs and tucks her hair behind her ears. “Yes. As corny as it may sound, my grandpa explained the lesson of the story to me, and that’s what made it stick. He said the important thing to take away from Cassiopeia is that external beauty isn’t everything. A kind heart and compassionate soul will help you make your mark in the world far more than your looks. It always reminded me that being humble and giving back to others was important. But the fact that her husband was so distraught without her and begged to be cast aside with her put the cherry on top. It was a love story, albeit unorthodox, but still spoke of the power of love as well.”
I never thought of it that way until she mentioned Cepheus’s desperation to be with his wife. I felt that way after Hannah died, wondering if I could live without her. If it weren’t for Grayson, who knows how I might have reacted otherwise.
“You learn something new every day,” I say, shoving my hands in my pockets as Rachel returns to the telescope and continues to find constellations to show me, including Cassiopeia, which is visible this time of year. We spend the next hour gazing across the arrays of stars, Rachel sharing her knowledge of the stories with me before I realize it’s almost ten o’clock.
“Is it really that late already?” She asks, clearly as surprised as I am.
“Yeah, it is. Theo?” The frail man appears from the shadows on cue. “We’re done, sir. Thank you again for helping me out.” Shaking his hand, he casts me a look as Rachel’s back is turned.
“I like this one.” He tips his head in her direction.
“Yeah, me too,” I reply wistfully before I gather Rachel’s hand and then head for the car.
The drive back to my house is full of anticipation, the air in the car thick with desperation and need. I know what we’re both expecting, and despite my reservations from earlier, I know what I want. Rachel opened up even more to me tonight. Not just intellectually, but she showed me her heart, her soul, the things that make her tick. I’m more turned on by her mind right now than her body, which I think speaks volumes.
As we step inside the house and she drops off her purse on the table by the door, I feel time tick by while we feel each other out. Finally she turns to me and smiles appreciatively.
“Luke. That was the best date I’ve ever been on. The observatory was amazing. Dinner was incredible. And it was so nice to be out of the house together, enjoying each other. So thank you.”
Stepping towards her, I reach for her hand, pulling her fingers to my lips, pressing against them gently. “You’re welcome. I had an amazing time too. I learned so much about you this evening, and now I want to know more.”
Her mouth relaxes as her breaths become louder. “Luke, we don’t
have to…”
“I know. But I want to.”
“Are you sure?” She steps closer, resting her hands on my chest before sliding them up and down my shoulders and arms, making my body hum from her touch.
The answer comes to me clear as day. “Yes. I’m sure.”
Rachel takes my hand and then leads me to her room, guiding me like the brightest star in the sky, taking me on a journey I never thought I’d embark on again. As I follow her, my heart pounds violently and my blood pressure surges, my mind racing with how monumental this night is.
But I can do this. I’m ready. I want Rachel. And tonight, we’re going to make love for the first time.
Chapter 20
Luke
As I shut the door behind me, even though technically I don’t need to since Grayson isn’t home, I watch Rachel from behind, her back to me as she stares at her bed. Taking a moment to appreciate her curves, the epitome of sexiness standing before me, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and give myself an internal pep talk. And as though she can sense my momentary reservations, she turns to me as I put one foot in front of the other, closing the distance between us so our bodies are only separated by inches.
“I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” I whisper, caressing her cheek with my hand while my other grasps her hip, pulling her towards my body.
“I know. I’m scared for you.”
“Why?”
She blinks a few times. “Because I can’t imagine how hard this must be.”
“It is hard, but I also know what I feel for you right now, and that’s stronger than the guilt at this moment. I crave you, Rachel. I think about you constantly. Not just your body, but you as a person. Your soul. You’ve opened me up for the first time in five years, and I want to be connected to you in the most sensual way possible.” Dipping my head down, my lips meet hers in a few soft nips before the pace increases and our hands take on a mind of their own.
“Make love to me, Luke,” she mewls against my lips, sucking the bottom one in between her teeth and then releasing it, peering up with her eyes, pushing me to move.
So I do. My hands skate around her hips and down over her ass, yanking her towards me so our chests and stomachs collide, along with other things as well. My cock swells fast in my slacks as Rachel grinds her pelvis against my length. Squeezing her cheeks in my hands, I growl while we continue to devour each other’s mouths—kissing, licking, moaning, connecting.
“God, Rachel. You’re so fucking sexy. I think about your body so much during the day, it’s almost impossible for me to do my job.” Saying those words out loud frees some of the tension in my chest.
My confession makes her chuckle as we push apart and she reaches for the buttons on my shirt, popping them open one by one. “You’re sexy too, Luke. You’re the hottest dad on the planet. Your muscles, your jaw, that smile, your cock…” She moans and her dirty words make me even harder if that’s possible, my brain flashing images of the two of us getting intimately acquainted in just a few moments.
“Tell me more about my cock,” I urge her, pushing the sleeves of her dress all the way down her arms as she lifts them up to slide out of the bands, the fabric falling over her breasts that are encased in a red satin bra that matches her outfit.
“I’m dying to feel you inside of me.” Her head falls back as I lean forward and kiss along her collarbone, slowly making my way to her breasts before I suck her nipple through the fabric of her bra. Her moans fill the air when I push down the cup and take her directly in my mouth, licking and nibbling, spurring her noises on.
“I want to feel you too, sweetheart. Your tight, slick heat. Your wetness that grows each time we connect. There’s no going back from here, Rach. You hear me?”
She nods. “Yes.”
“You’re mine.”
“I’m yours.”
The instinct to claim her as mine is strong, so intense that my mind veers momentarily to the last woman I labeled as mine. But I can’t think about Hannah right now. I’m living in the moment, giving in to this need I have for the woman in my arms that is alive and breathing heavily in my ears.
Standing tall again, I reach behind her and pop the clasp on her bra, the flimsy satin falling off of her body while I help her extract it entirely. Her torso is bared completely to me—her nipples rosy and hard, her breasts full and heaving, her dress still clinging to her bottom half, along with her heels.
“This shirt needs to disappear now,” she growls, releasing the last button on my shirt and then pushing the fabric down off my shoulders and arms, my chest gleaming in the light coming through the cracks in the blinds. “That’s better.” Her voice is raspy and tense, indicating how turned on she is, especially when she leans forward this time, kissing my chest, licking my nipples, nibbling on my skin while her hands caress my upper body.
Next her fingers find the waistband of my pants, releasing the clasp before her hands travel down the elastic of my briefs, gripping my ass in her palms. “You have such an incredible ass for a man, Luke.”
Grinning like a fool, I add, “Oh yeah?”
She nods slowly. “It was one of the first things I noticed about you. And now, I can’t wait to grab it while you pound into me.”
Well, fuck. Alright, if you insist.
I waste no time pushing my pants and briefs down, my cock bouncing up in salute at the naked woman standing in front of me. Rachel licks her lips and then starts to drop to her knees before I stop her.
“Hey. I love when you put your mouth on me, I do. But not tonight or I won’t last. This is going to be quick as it is the first time, and I don’t want to disappoint you, okay?”
Her smile tips up on one side before she nods. “Okay.”
“Now,” I start as I walk her backwards to the bed. “Let’s focus on making you come first before I blow my load like a teenage boy.”
Giggling uncontrollably, she lays down as I pull her dress off her body, leaving her in nothing but heels and the matching thong to her bra.
“Damn. I’ve never been a man for lingerie, but this color and fabric on you is delicious. And even better when I take these off… I know just how delicious the treat is inside.” My words crawl up my throat and grit against the desire I’m feeling in my entire body as Rachel pants beneath me. I kiss her once more before trailing my lips and tongue down her neck, stopping to give her breasts the attention they deserve once more, then her hips a slight nibble, and finally I hook my thumbs in the strings on her waist, slowly pulling the last barrier of clothing away from her body as her pussy greets me, glistening with her arousal.
“Luke,” she sighs as I push her legs open and take in the sight of her—more than ready, eager for me, pulsing from the blood rushing south. So I press forward, dragging my tongue through her slit, lapping up her taste as she groans above me.
“Yes…”
I’ve forgotten how powerful sex can make me feel. Even though I’ve gone down on Rachel prior to this, there’s a potent spark of confidence that is building knowing this act is actually leading to sex this time. A mixture of nerves and assurance swirl around in my body and the desire to finally make this ascent slams into me while I continue to worship her.
My tongue takes on a mind of its own, knowing what Rachel likes by now—short flicks, long strokes, the sudden intrusion of my fingers when she’s just about to come. I savor her, pleasure her, make sure she gets hers before I take it further and don’t last but two minutes once I’m deep inside.
Her clit grows hard beneath my tongue as I throw her heel-clad feet over my shoulders, her breaths more frantic, her wetness increasing to a volume that can’t be possible. But fuck if it doesn’t boost my ego, knowing how ready and desperate this woman is for me. And that’s my cue as I push two fingers inside of her, watching her entire body arch while my tongue continues to work its magic and my fingers find that magical spot. And then she explodes.
“Luke!” She screams, her walls pulsing around my
fingers, her clit throbbing on my tongue. And then she relaxes when the waves have subsided, breathing heavily as I place a kiss on her pussy, one on each of her inner thighs, and then make my way up to her mouth again.
My heart is galloping as I realize we’re getting closer to the final act, but my uneasiness has virtually subsided. I want this. I want her. No matter how crazy this seems, the point is—it feels right.
Heady and on an orgasmic high, she pulls my lips to hers, tasting herself as we swirl our tongues together. “Are you ready?” She asks when we part, her eyes bright and greener than ever in the soft light coming in the window.
I nod, bracing myself for the moment. “Yes.”
Pushing off the bed, I find my wallet in my pants, securing one of the condoms I bought a few weeks ago when I realized that I needed to be prepared for this moment. I tear open the foil and extract the latex, slowly rolling it down my shaft as Rachel watches from the bed. Once I’m happy with the fit, I make my way back up to her as we crawl further towards her pillows, her heels coming off now as she throws them to the floor on the side of the bed somewhere.
Lining myself up to her entrance, my heart beats so hard in my chest that my entire body is shaking from the force.
“It’s okay, Luke. Take your time.” This woman. What on earth did I do to deserve her patience? Her calmness. Her genuine regard for how I’m feeling as we navigate our developing relationship. Part of me can’t believe I’m actually in this predicament—and the other part is so fucking glad it’s with her.
“I know. Thank you for being patient with me… thank you for being you,” I say while I push in slightly and my dick comes back to life. “Oh fuck,” I growl as I pulse in again, pushing slightly further with each thrust. Rachel’s pussy is so tight, the feeling so insane that I’m afraid to move once I’m buried inside because I just might come staying still.
“Are you okay?” She asks me as I shake above her.
