by A. J. Downey
I moaned softly, tipping my head back against his shoulder as he dragged the warm, wet, soapy cloth along my skin slowly in a tantalizing and thoroughly erotic fashion that drove me deep into a submissive headspace.
I wanted so badly to cede control, to lay myself in his hands and trust him implicitly that he would take care of me and for the first time in my life, I actually did. I trusted him completely enough to just let go and it was a wonderful feeling.
He washed my body as carefully and completely as he washed my hair and I was done in by him. Relaxing totally against his body, closing my eyes and dipping into an almost meditative state as he slid a hand down between my breasts, nipples pebbled hard in the cooler air that kissed them from above the waterline. He dipped that hand between my legs, and I stiffened against him.
“Relax,” he breathed against my ear. “You’re safe, you’re all good. I’ve got you, baby… Just relax.”
I relaxed, marginally, incrementally, and listened as he soothed me. He knew. He knew everything about me. What bothered me; what didn’t. What brought up the ghosts of old memories past, and what laid them to rest. He was determined to right the wrongs of my beginnings and to make me feel good if only I’d let him and God, yes, how I wanted him to.
I lay back against his hard chest and closed my eyes, his other arm crossing over me, holding me close as the hand below the waterline teased at my pussy, sliding firm but gentle fingertips against its lips, parting them, a finger delving inside me causing my hips to jerk, the heel of his hand working a delicious friction against my clit, working me up slowly into a shivering mass of want and need.
The water began to grow cooler against my heating skin, and it lent another delicious contrast in sensations as Poe worked tirelessly but methodically to bring me to orgasm against his body.
I moaned, helpless in his arms, breath quickening; silver sparks molten and alive traveling through nerve endings I hadn’t known existed.
The water made a musical sound against the edge of the tub as I jerked in his grasp, slowly coming down from the clouds to land gently back in his arms where he both soothed me and praised me essentially for an orgasm well done.
I don’t know what the appeal was, but I glowed from not just his touch but his praise, but damned if the water hadn’t started to grow cold and double damn if I didn’t want more. This little orgasm was more like a preview of coming attractions and I wanted him so badly back downstairs and in our bed, I almost couldn’t stand it.
I wanted him over me, inside of me, stroking deep, pressing me back into the bed. I wanted to feel loved and safe, caged in the unimaginable strength of his arms. He felt invincible to me when we were like that, and I so loved the illusion deeply, with everything that I was and everything that we could be when we spiraled high and higher, drunk off each other and our love.
“Come on, baby. Careful now, but up you go.”
He helped me stand when I was ready, my legs still trembling finely as I stepped carefully out of the tub onto the spare towel he laid on the floor before we got in. When he was sure, he let go of my hand and got up after me, stepping out and taking the towel from my hands as I unfurled it to wrap it around me and to rub me briskly through the cloth, drying me.
“You take such good care of me,” I whispered, feeling absolutely spoiled by this man and he grinned, bringing his mouth to mine to kiss me.
“That’s the whole point,” he said. “You’re long overdue.”
I smiled and brought up his towel and tried to do the same for him, but he would have none of it.
He dried himself quickly and wrapped the towel around his lean hips, tucking the corner to secure it, his erection tenting it comically in the front.
I did likewise, tucking the towel I held around me, securing the corner in my armpit before taking his hand, blowing out the candle up here, and letting him lead me downstairs.
“We have a lot to figure out about this place,” he said quietly.
“The bedrooms up here are fine, they just need paint.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “What colors, though? And which wall are you going to slather in your crafting herpes?”
I snorted and laughed and shaking my head said, “I just want an accent wall and I don’t even know which color glitter yet.”
“Guess we’re taking a ride to the edge of the city and the hardware store tomorrow.”
“Do you think we can get the paint we want delivered?”
“I think so,” he said as he pulled back the blankets on our bed.
I shivered and he pulled the corner of my towel, letting it drop to the hardwood flooring that was somewhat desperately in the need of a refinish but at the same time, I liked its old and worn appearance. I felt it lent it character. Another thing we would have to discuss. Refinishing would require equipment we didn’t have and a lot of sawdust.
“Your mind is going a mile a minute now, isn’t it?” he asked, dropping his own towel and sliding into bed next to me.
Dropping the blankets down over us severed the chill of the ambient air and we quickly warmed beneath the covers.
“It is,” I agreed, and he stroked a hand over my body, a gentle caress, a loving touch and I hummed in appreciation, snuggling closer.
“It’s all going to be here tomorrow when we wake up,” he murmured.
“Yeah,” I whispered and we naturally just sort of fell into each other, kissing softly, lips touching, tongues mingling, the temperature rising to a pleasant warmth as he rolled us, him on top, me on my back, between the sheets.
I moaned softly into his mouth and he groaned back, and I loved the sound.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered against my skin, pulling the blankets over his head, kissing along the side of my neck, my shoulder, over my collarbone.
“Mm-mm! Now, right now,” I whispered and giggled.
“Got better things to be doing right now,” he growled against my skin.
“Like what?” I asked breathy, gasping as he kissed a nipple.
“Like you,” he answered before taking it into the wet heat of his mouth, his teeth careful but sharp as he grasped it between them, tugging it lightly, sending waves of arousing sensation through me.
“Okay, you win. Not going to argue,” I whispered quickly, suddenly unable to catch my breath.
“That’s what I thought,” he said with a dark little chuckle and oh damn, I was nearly undone.
27
Poe…
Her skin was soft as silk beneath my lips, her breathing in a wonderfully deep cadence as I teased her into a deep state of arousal. I kissed my way down her body, teasing her with my lips, letting my warm breath fan along her ribs, my fingertips trailing after. Her little pants and moans that followed each new sensation driving me nuts in all the right ways.
“Jeremy, please,” she whimpered and how could I ever deny a plea like that?
“Please what?” I teased lightly.
“Come up here and kiss me,” she begged.
I kissed my way slowly back up her body and she shuddered beneath me, spreading her legs, locking her ankles behind my back the higher I climbed up her body.
I laughed as she pulled me into her, my cock slipping against her pussy which was so wet with her arousal and I smiled, rocking against her, but not penetrating her. Not yet.
“Jeremy Poe!” she chastised, and I chuckled deeply as I licked and kissed the side of her neck. Teasing that spot that made her gasp, that sent her hips rocking against mine. The delicious friction of her velvet pussy lips against my shaft edging me on.
I moaned and kissed her deeply. She kissed me back, and I took over thrusting, sliding myself against her, our bodies finding a sync that sent us both into this slide of pleasure that stopped time, or at least severely slowed it to a mere crawl.
I worked my hips, my body against hers, just sort of naturally seeking purchase. My cock finding her opening naturally before I sank slowly inside. God, her walls were warm, tight, slick, and felt so good where the
y pressed around me, gripping me, pulling me deeper into her.
“Shit, baby, slow down. I’m not ready,” I hissed between gritted teeth and her deep and sultry moan did nothing to help keep me in check. I might not have a choice. It’s not like a man could truly stop himself from coming. Sometimes a dude’s body just went on its own fucking program.
The way she held me, the way she buried her hands in my hair, the way she locked her ankles behind my back, the way she moved, writhing beneath me in this sensual dance of lust and desire. It was hard as fuck holding off.
Her pussy pressed around me, drawing me deeper, her walls soft and yet with this iron grip. God, she felt so good. Feminine and soft with this edge of dangerous steel, a core of iron, a true partner in everything.
She was tough yet yielding, and I loved the unique dichotomy.
“Oh, fuck! Baby!”
I struggled to hold back, to make her come first, but I couldn’t. Not this time. I squeezed my eyes shut, my whole body getting involved, my balls tingling then tightening up, white sparks flooding my vision as colors exploded behind my eyelids and I lost the fight, spilling hot and ready, deep inside of my woman as she cried out and arched beneath me, her body pressing tight to mine.
Flashbulbs went off behind my eyelids, as I cried out and collapsed on top of her, barely holding myself up enough to not crush her into the mattress. Not like she cared, with her hands on my back, pulling me down on top of her, cuddling into me like she was. If she were a cat, she would purr, her pussy certainly doing so, throbbing with little aftershocks, her orgasm nearly perfectly timed with my own.
God that was nice.
A perfect circle, her and me, me into her.
“God, I love you,” she whimpered and held me close and I don’t think I had ever felt so close to perfect in my life.
“The bedroom?” I tried and she smiled and laughed lightly.
“You’d be okay with a sparkly wall in the bedroom?” she asked me.
“Why not? Maybe behind the bed, silver glitter like star spangle or something. Could be nice.”
She hummed and pressed tighter to my side, snuggling her head against my shoulder, her fingertips walking over my abs beneath the blanket.
“That sounds really nice, actually.”
“Better than the bathroom,” I said.
We were cuddled close, the candle burning in the middle of what would be the dining room giving just enough light to cast shadows and to beat back the dark for my woman.
“You’d really be okay with a great big glittering wall in our bedroom?” she asked softly and I smiled.
“Would it make you happy?” I asked.
“Yes.” She laughed lightly, more of a light giggle, like a babbling brook.
“Then yeah, because I would do anything and then some to make you happy.”
“Yeah?” she asked looking up at me.
“Mm-hm. You glow when you’re happy,” I murmured. “Like the light of the moon.”
She laughed outright then, and I laughed too.
“What?” I demanded.
“You, being all romantic.”
“You rather I not?”
“I didn’t say that. I guess I’m just not used to it is all, it’s still so new.”
“Ahh, you best get used to it,” I murmured and kissed her forehead. Her eyes drifted shut, her eyelashes tickling my chest in a butterfly kiss which is how I knew.
“I never dreamed in a million years that this could be my life,” she confessed.
“You know what? Me either.”
“I’m so happy.”
“Me too.”
“I’m almost scared to be this happy, you know?”
“Why d’you say that?” I asked.
“Feels like anytime something good happens to me, something bad is sure to follow.”
“Oh, baby… that’s just life. Good, bad, indifferent,” I murmured, stroking her absently.
She was silent for so long, but I knew she wasn’t asleep yet. I smiled softly in the dark and declared, “Doesn’t matter. Good, bad, indifferent… I’m here, in it, with you until the bitter end.”
She pushed herself up and looked down at me, the soft play of candlelight making her luminous.
“I believe you,” she whispered and smiled at me.
“You better, because I’ll never lie to you. Not about the big things, and this is one of the biggest.”
“What would you lie about?” she asked frowning, her smile ruining it.
I grinned. “I might lie to get you someplace to surprise you.”
“That’s a surprise though!” she cried. “Not the same thing at all.”
“I don’t know, but how about this… the next time one comes up, I promise to tell you.”
“Oh, you promise to tell me you lied to me!” she laughed then, and I swear I smiled so big the grin would like to split my face.
“Should sleep, babe. We got a big day tomorrow.”
“Hmm… I suppose we do. Wait, what are we doing?”
“Hopefully, getting our bedroom done upstairs. All it needs is paint, now.”
“Yeah,” she whispered dreamily. “Paint, furniture, and us.”
“Mm-hm.”
Sounded just about right.
We slept hard, but we didn’t get to sleep late. We woke to Blaze pounding on the door raising a fuss, ready to help us take on the day.
“I thought you had work today,” I said and he shrugged.
“Called off, took a mental health day or whatever. Figured you’d need to hit the hardware store and you needed the truck.”
“Seriously?” I laughed and shook my head.
“Well fuck you, too, buddy! See if I come help out of the goodness of my heart again.”
“Yeah, well you’re in for it now. Saylor wants her glitter wall in the bedroom, so you know what that means…”
“Oh, shit – is it too late to bounce?” he asked.
“Yup!” she called down from upstairs as I sat in bed, a blanket wrapped around my waist which is how I answered the door seeing as our clothes were all upstairs.
“Shit,” Blaze swore softly. “Guess we better get to it.”
“Yup.”
I left him with my girl downstairs and went and rooted through some shit to find some clothes I didn’t give a fuck about, seeing as we would be painting today.
At the hardware store, I stopped Blaze on the paint aisle, Saylor chatting amicably with the hardware store clerk that was mixing a misty blue-gray color for the rest of the bedroom to make her silver accent wall really pop.
“Dude, I need your help at some point.”
“With what?” he asked, perusing the rollers and brushes, snatching an edging tool off the shelf and flipping it into the cart.
“Picking a ring. I asked Saylor to marry me in the hospital yesterday and she said ‘yes’ but I told her I wanted to find a proper ring and ask in front of the guys. I don’t want everybody feeling like I cut them out –”
“You’re fucking serious!” he whisper-shouted harshly and I thought I was fucked. That I’d upset him or something for a second there – but not Blaze.
He jerked his elbow back and let out an excited “Yes!” then lunged at me to hug me all fierce. We both looked over to Saylor and the clerk looking at us funny, Saylor’s eyes sparkling with glee as she laughed lightly and went back to talking to the clerk like everything was normal, ordinary, and for us I guess it was.
“Hell yeah, I’ll go ring shopping with you, bro. Just name the date and time and tell me where we’re going.”
“I’d also really love it if you wouldn’t spill to the rest of the club and if you would be my best man.”
“Bro! You got it, man. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I’m here for you. You know that.”
I felt a weight come off my shoulders that I hadn’t realized was resting on it.
“Cool. Let’s get this shit and get out of here. I’m hoping to get at least this one
room done by tonight.”
“Let’s do it,” Blaze agreed, and we wheeled our shopping cart full of the goods back out to the main paint center to load up on the cans of paint for the bedroom.
I didn’t even bat an eye at the bill, which was way big, to accommodate the fucking glitter paint which was definitely the lion’s share of it. I did accept Saylor’s contribution of her meager earnings to help cover it. Not because I wanted or needed her to, but because she seemed to need to and I got it. I really did. She wanted this to be as much of a partnership as possible. Not just me paying for everything and her just existing.
I did insist she take it easy, even though she insisted she was fine. And even though she said she didn’t need one, I talked her into taking one of her beefed-up Tylenol prescription pills before any pain could start.
I loved her, and I wanted what was best for her and for her to be comfortable.
We went back to the house, relocated some drop cloths to the bedroom we decided would be the master – although both bedrooms seemed to be of an equal size up here, and we got to work.
“So how does this shit work?” Blaze asked, looking at one of the smaller cans of the silver glitter paint she’d picked.
“Paint goes up first on all four walls, ceiling gets painted white, then when the paint’s dry, you do as many coats as you can get out of this glitter paint onto the wall picked as an accent wall, let it dry, and that’s that.”
“Okay then, what’d you want to do first?” I asked.
“Walls are already taped off from the primer, so let’s hit the ceiling first.”
“You’re the boss,” Blaze declared and we got to work.
With the three of us at it, the ceiling went fast. I got up on the step stool somebody had scrounged from somewhere and edged the ceiling with a brush while Saylor and Blaze went at it with the rollers on their extended handles.
We pulled tape off the walls, turned on the heat in the room and shut the door and did the ceiling in the next bedroom giving the paint a chance to do some drying before we pulled tape, taped off the ceiling and baseboards, and went at the walls.
It was an honest day’s work, and by the time we had the walls in the master bedroom done with the regular paint, it was time to basically call it a day for now. They had to dry before we could get into the glitter paint she wanted on the accent wall.
