by Elias Taylor
A brave little voice at the very back of Mel’s head told her to not think, just act.
The voice seemed to whisper: Why not?
“Ok,” Mel said. “Let’s go.”
Tripp’s smile left Mel with complete confidence that she had made the right decision.
He rose to his feet, and Mel jumped up. The dullness of the day left her. She was vibrating with energy as she and Tripp began to creep towards the gate at the back of the yard.
Tripp opened the gate, and Mel cast one last look over her shoulder. No one had even noticed they had moved.
She let out a nervous laugh and dashed through the gate.
Tripp strode around the corner and toward his bike.
“You ride a bit, right?” he asked.
Mel took the helmet he offered her.
“I have,” she said.
Mel was far from a well-seasoned biker, but she did hang out with a few guys in the clubs. Christina was very into the biker scene and often dragged Mel along to various parties. As a result, Mel had ridden on the back of a few bikes.
But she had never ridden with Tripp. As soon as Mel hopped on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, she knew this ride was going to feel different.
Every nerve in her body was clanging at the close proximity. She was too aware of the slope of his back and how much she wanted to mold her own body to it.
With a roar, the bike launched into motion.
And Mel knew she was on a vehicle that could not be stopped.
Chapter Eight: First
Tripp did his best to make a mental note of how it felt to have Mel’s arms encircling him. He wanted to remember this ride down the road, when Mel was long gone.
He didn’t know why he had invited her on the ride. The words had just fallen out of his mouth. All he had known was that it was so pleasant to sit with her and talk about their lives and goals. She had made Tripp long to be alone with her. He had wanted to get far away from everyone else at the party. They all felt like hindrances to what really mattered: him and Mel.
He drove to the beach near his house. It was a quiet and subdued spot, far away from the bigger and more crowded beaches along the coast.
When they pulled up, Mel jumped off the bike and clapped her hands.
“This takes me back,” she said. “Your mom used to drive us here all the time so we could make sand castles.”
Tripp smiled at her pleasure. As she let the way towards the sand, he was transfixed by the way the sun glinted off her red tresses. Her hair was loose but neater than it had been the night before. He wanted to mess it up again.
He reminded himself that what he had said while drunk was a mistake. He had apologized, and Mel was clearly willing to forgive him, but he should not push it. They could be friends. They could hang out. That was it.
As they wandered down and found a secluded spot on the sand, Tripp told himself to just enjoy the later afternoon sun setting over the water.
Only a few other families wandered on the beach, and their spot was closer to the cliffs above. Mel tugged her socks and sneakers off and buried her toes in the sand.
She leaned her elbows onto her knees and scrunched her mouth up as she looked out over the waves.
“Do you ever wish you could be a kid again?” she asked.
“Not really,” Tripp said. “It’s impossible to go backward, anyway.”
“You’re right,” Mel said. “I sometimes miss when things were simple though.”
Forbidden fruit. That’s what her rosy lips called to mind.
“I don’t remember you ever being simple,” Tripp said. “You and Christina were always embroiled in crazy dramas at school.”
“Well, we thought lunch tables and middle school gossip was dramatic at the time,” Mel said with a laugh. “Although looking back, it all seems so quaint.”
“Maybe ten years from now, you’ll think this time period was simple,” Tripp said.
“I don’t know,” Mel said. “I feel like every single thing I do right now is going to affect the rest of my life, for better or for worse.”
“Yeah,” Tripp said. “I feel like each day I work at the roofing company, my chances of opening my own business get smaller and smaller.”
Mel turned her sympathetic eyes towards him, and a coil of emotion wormed its way through Tripp’s stomach. She was so beautiful. And her red hair had streaks of gold. He had never noticed, but the setting sun illuminated them.
The beach was devoid of people. The families had packed up and left as it would soon be dark. It felt like Tripp and Mel were the only two people in the entire world.
“I’m not mad, you know,” Mel said.
Her voice was just above a whisper, but Tripp heard each word clear as day.
“About what you said last night,” Mel said. “It didn’t make me mad.”
She averted her eyes, and Tripp could tell how hard it had been for her to confess that small truth. She hadn’t forgotten his words, they had meant something to her, and the thought filled Tripp with an exhilarating hope. Maybe there was something here after all.
He had to meet her honesty with honesty of his own.
“I meant it,” Tripp said.
Mel’s eyes flashed back to his face, and her eyes widened as she saw the sincerity in his own expression.
“You’re gorgeous,” Tripp said. “But you were always younger and my sister’s best friend at that.”
Tripp leaned towards her so that his shoulder bumped hers.
“I figured you were off limits,” he said.
A slow smile crept across Mel’s face. Her cheeks were inflamed with two circles of bright red to match her hair, and Tripp found it absolutely adorable.
It wasn’t just that she was off-limits that made her so irresistible. She was also funny in a quiet way, and kind-hearted. And ambitious. Tripp could tell she had goals and aspirations. She got it. She got him. And she was beautiful on top of all that.
“I always had a crush on you,” Mel said. “The whole time I was growing up, it was only you.”
Tripp was shocked. He had never suspected. Mel played her cards close to the chest. He had noted before how she kept most of her thoughts locked up behind her eyes. She was like an iceberg with only a small tip of herself showing above the surface.
“Really?” Tripp asked.
He was grinning like a fool, but he couldn’t help it.
“Yeah, it started in middle school and then went all the way through high school,” Mel said.
Through high school. That was recent. Tripp’s heart started to race. Did she still have feelings?
“But you were my friend’s cooler older brother, and I was the nerdy prude,” Mel said. “I figured I never had a chance.”
She was wrong. She was so totally wrong.
Mel let out a soft laugh, but before she could say anything else, Tripp leaned forward and kissed her.
It was a brief touch. He pressed his lips against hers for only a second, then he pulled back a few inches and waited.
Mel’s electric green eyes blinked once. Twice. Then she leaned forward and gave him a timid kiss back.
Tripp wanted to growl with eagerness. Everything about her turned him on. But he knew Mel. He wanted her to want him.
She shifted a bit until she was closer to him, with her legs curled up beneath her. Tripp gently placed one hand on her waist and relished how she leaned into his touch. Beneath her thin dress, her body was soft and pliable.
She kissed him again, and Tripp could no longer contain himself. He could feel her breathing beneath his hand, and he pulled her closer, pressing one hand to the back of his neck. Mel was like soft clay in his hands, letting herself be held by him.
Tripp kissed her with intensity. Mel was responding to him, he no longer feared rejection. He flicked his tongue over her bottom lip, and he felt her chest rise in excitement. Enthused by her response, Tripp pushed her lips open and thrust his tongue into her mouth. There
was no more hesitancy from Mel as she gripped his shoulders with his arms and pulled herself closer.
Tripp smiled even as they continued to kiss. He moved one hand down to caress her perfect ass. Just by applying the mildest bit of pressure, he managed to pull Mel onto his lap. Her body knew exactly where to go, and in a matter of seconds, she was straddling him.
Tripp was the one breathing heavily then. It had been a long while since he was this aroused. He couldn’t remember if any woman had ever made him forget everything else but her. His world had shrunk to the taste of Mel’s soft lips, the movements of her delectable body, and the sight of her flaming red hair.
She moaned against him, and Tripp’s arousal started to reach a fever pitch. He gripped her waist tightly and kissed her with ferocity, even nipping her lower lip and enjoying how she gasped. He could feel his erection pressing against her, and he was sure she felt it too. He didn’t care. He wanted her to know how much he craved her body.
He moved one hand around to her front and clutched her breast. Her flesh was soft and pliable. Mel tended to wear boxy crop tops or looser-fitting blouses. He remembered the first time he had seen her in a bikini, how he had been surprised by the swell of her breasts. And now he was feeling them, savoring every moment.
He tore his lips away from her mouth and started to line kisses along her neck and towards her chest. Mel sighed in pleasure, and the sound made Tripp’s crotch throb with desire.
He told himself not to rush, to just see where Mel was comfortable. Almost at the same moment, she moved her hands down his chest and shoved her fingers under his shirt. Tripp broke contact with her skin only long enough to tear his shirt over his head. He couldn’t hold back when Mel wasn’t holding back.
He lowered his hand to the hem of her dress and pushed it up until his fingers toyed with her panties. He bet she was wearing a matching set of underwear. That was just the kind of thing Mel would do.
A wave of coldness hit him as Mel pulled back. She pressed her hands against his chest and leaned back, but she remained straddling him. Tripp loosened his grip on her, but kept his hands on her hips.
“Are you ok?” he asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No,” Mel said.
She furrowed her brow and bit her lower lip. Tripp was transfixed by her swollen lips. He wanted to kiss them more until she wasn’t worried about anything.
“I’ve never –,” Mel stammered. “I just, this would be – if we do –”
Tripp’s heart went out to her as he realized what she was trying to say. He didn’t want her to worry about him judging her. He wanted her as she was, no matter what.
“I’m a virgin,” Mel whispered at last. “I’ve never had sex before.”
“That’s fine,” Tripp murmured.
He pulled her closer and pressed his lips against her forehead.
“We can stop right now,” Tripp said.
“No,” Mel said.
Even she looked surprised by her adamance.
“I want to,” Mel said. “With you. If you want to.”
“Of course I want to,” Tripp said.
His words made Mel’s shoulders relax. Tripp felt a surge of hot and primal desire. Not only was he fine with Mel being a virgin, he wanted it this way. He wanted to be the one to take care of her. He wanted to show her how good it could be. He wanted to give her every pleasure imaginable.
“I’ll be gentle,” Tripp said. “Just tell me if you need to slow down or stop, ok?”
“Ok,” Mel said.
Tripp kissed her again, slowly and languidly. He was going to make sure she enjoyed this.
“I’m going to take care of you, Mel,” he said.
She sighed and melted into his arms. Mel ran her hand across his back and pressed her entire torso against his. She kissed him deeply, and Tripp knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
He slipped his hand back towards her panties, and this time Mel didn’t stop him. Instead she leaned her stomach into his hand and let him pull her panties away from her.
He slipped a finger down between her legs, and any lingering doubt he had vanished. She was sopping wet. Tripp’s only concern was that he would lose control of himself before he took care of her pleasure first. But no. He vowed to not let that happen.
He gently massaged her satin folds, and Mel let out a little sound, somewhere between a sigh and a yelp.
“That feels good,” she murmured into his neck.
“Good,” Tripp said.
He teased and worked the flesh surrounding her most sensitive spot, and Mel started to move against him. She was eager for him, and it made Tripp so unbelievably hard. He ran his finger over her clitoris, and Mel groaned with pleasure.
“I want you to feel good,” Tripp whispered in her ear. “I want to get you there, so you’re ready for me.”
“I want that too,” Mel whispered.
The lust in her voice nearly made Tripp come instantly. He gritted his teeth and focused on her. Watching her reach her peak was only going to make his enjoyment that much better.
He pressed his fingers harder and faster against her soft flesh, and he could tell that Mel was loving it. He moved his other hand under her dress and gripped her nipple in his fingers, eliciting a delightful little shriek from her.
Tripp could see when she started to approach her climax. She sucked her breath in with little gulps and closed her eyes. Her head tipped back, and Tripp thought she looked like some mythical mermaid, washed up on shore.
Her thighs held his hips in an iron grip as her desire grew more and more frantic. She pressed her cleft as hard as she could into his fingers and arched her back.
“Yes, Tripp, please,” she moaned.
Tripp smiled in triumph as he saw the waves of ecstasy course through her body. She spasmed near his fingers and moaned. As she reached her final threshold of passion her gorgeous lips parted in a huge sigh of joy. Tripp had done that. He wanted to do it to her over and over for the rest of his life.
She rode her orgasm into its final throes and then collapsed against him. Her fingers maintained their fierce grip on his shoulders, and she pressed her cheek against his chest.
Tripp knew he would be perfectly happy to just hold her like this. His need was nothing compared to hers. If she wanted to stop there, he would be content.
Her damp lips caressed his chest, and Tripp tensed.
She moved her hands down towards his jeans and began to fumble with his buttons.
“We don’t have to,” Tripp said.
“I want to,” Mel said. “Do you have protection?”
Tripp nodded and pulled a condom from his pocket. She probably thought he was a man-whore, but who cared?
With that, Tripp was done with taking it slow. He turned his body and pressed Mel flat on her back. She grinned up at him as he held himself over her on his forearms. He took in her face, still flushed with the joy of her orgasm, and her perfectly messy hair.
Then he rose up to his knees and yanked off his jeans and boxers until he was naked. With a few quick movements, he pulled the condom on.
Mel, in turn, pulled her dress up over her head exposing a sensual length of pale flesh, sprinkled with those hypnotizing freckles.
Tripp lowered himself over her and touched between her legs again. She was still wet, and his erection responded accordingly.
“Tell me if it hurts too much,” Tripp said.
Then he chuckled as Mel made an impatient noise and pressed her chest against his own.
Slowly he pressed himself into her. There was resistance at first, but Tripp kissed Mel until she relaxed. Inch by inch, he eased himself into her heated depths. Her pussy was so tight, Tripp let out a low moan of pleasure. He had never been this captivated by a woman’s body.
Then, Mel sent waves of heat flowing through him by raising her hips slowly. She didn’t even know what she was doing, but she did it so well.
Tripp pulled out a bit and then drove in
to her again, relishing the gasp that came out of her perfect mouth. He buried himself in her again and again, until the only thing that mattered was their two bodies joined in the darkness.
His own climax was swift and powerful. He had been too turned on by her all day to make this last long. His body shuddered in overpowering crests of lust as he rose into his peak. His release was fiery and so overwhelming that everything seemed to blur along the edges. Except for Mel. Her face was shining with crystalline clarity.
He cried out into the night as he exploded into a million blissful pieces.
Afterward, Mel lay her head on his chest and snuggled against him.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
“No, I’m alright,” she said.
Tripp wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her closer.
“That was really amazing,” Mel said. “Thank you.”
Tripp had the sudden urge to sob with relief. Here she was thanking him when she had just given him the best sex of his entire life.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Tripp said. “It was amazing for me too.”
Mel let out a sigh of contentment, and Tripp wished that they could lie there all night, just feeling each other.
“I can’t believe my first time was on a beach,” Mel said. “It’s so cliché.”
Tripp chuckled.
“Maybe it’s a cliché for a reason,” he said.
Mel made a soft humming sound that set Tripp’s heartstrings vibrating.
He knew they couldn’t stay on that beach forever, but he decided to savor the time they had.
So they lay for long moments, listening to the crash of the waves.
Chapter Nine: Talk
Mel had heard a lot of things about what it felt like for a girl to lose her virginity. She had heard both the good, the bad, and the confusing. Some said it was painful, some said it was momentous, and others said it was no big deal. She had long since realized it was different for everyone.
For her, it felt like stepping into a house she had never seen before and yet knowing that she was home. It had been remarkable. Tripp had been remarkable.