"Better than anyone I know," I said, grabbing my coke and taking a gulp.
Kristy paused long enough that I turned around and looked at her. She had tears in her eyes, and she swallowed hard before she quietly spoke. "I was really hurt that I wasn't invited to the wedding."
I didn't know what to say. That had been another huge fight between Laura and me. I watched as those giant tears slipped out of her eyes and down her cheeks, but she brushed them away as fast as they had fallen and turned her back on me to get back to the salad.
"I know, and I'm sorry about that." I watched as she nodded.
She'd been on the invite list, and it hadn't been my choice not to invite her. She'd been as big a part of my life as my own sister. Laura, however, had cornered me one night after we'd been at my parents’ going over the guest list. She was convinced that Kristy had a crush on me and she out and out refused to have her attend the wedding. We'd had a huge fight over it. So big, in fact, that we didn't speak for a couple of days. I had actually thought of calling off the entire wedding over it. It had eaten at me the entire weekend, and I hadn't mentioned anything to anyone except Addie. She told me that Kristy would understand, but I begged her not to say anything and I would just tell her that we couldn't afford to invite any extra people. I had tried to talk to her, but every time I looked into her I eyes, the words had escaped me. So, instead of telling her, I never said a word and just never sent the invitation. Truth was, Laura had been wrong. It wasn't Kristy who had the crush. In hindsight, I was glad she wasn't there because I wasn't sure that I would have gotten married that day had Kristy of been there.
The oven timer rang, interrupting what I was going to say, and I grabbed the oven mitt from the counter and opened the door, the aroma of lasagna filling the room.
"It's done! Is that salad ready?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Yes."
Kristy quickly cleared a space on the counter, putting down a couple of hot plates for me to set the lasagna on, and I removed the lid to let it cool down. She passed me the garlic bread, and I slid it into the oven.
Once she had plated the salad, I cut the lasagna and pulled the perfectly cooked garlic bread from the oven and carried the plates over to the small dinette table. She followed behind me with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
Dinner had been perfect, and after we ate, we cleaned up the area together. "They are having a huge campfire tonight down near the hotel. Did you want to go?" I asked, drying the last plate and putting it back in the cupboard.
"No, I think I just want to stay in tonight. We can make smores over the stove and watch a movie."
I let out a laugh. "We haven't done that since our teens."
"Speak for yourself. I happen to make smores all the time that way," Kristy said, pulling a chocolate bar and bag of marshmallows from the bag on the counter and holding them up.
"Okay, well, one thing I am sure of is that I am not letting you cook the marshmallows. I remember what happened when we were younger, and I shudder to think you do this at home alone." I said, taking the bag from her hand.
"What?" she asked, looking up at me with innocent eyes.
"Really? You have to ask? You almost burned the kitchen down, remember? The marshmallow caught on fire and you went bananas waving it in the air."
"I was trying to put it out." She shrugged.
I laughed. "I think you might have been the reason I became a firefighter."
Kristy laughed at the memory. "Glad I could help, I guess, but seriously, it was frightening," she said, shrugging.
"That is the exact reason I will take over cooking the marshmallows."
She smiled innocently up at me and shrugged. "All right then, I'm in charge of the crackers and chocolate."
"Perfect, they don't involve fire, so we are good." I said winking at her.
An hour later, both of us showered, we had graham crackers sprawled on the counter, pieces of chocolate on top of one of the crackers, while I stood cooking the marshmallows over the flame on the stove.
"You always cook them so perfectly too," she said, watching in amazement. "I always burn them."
"Not always. I remember the one time that you cooked one perfectly," I said, winking at her. I was just about to say something when the marshmallow caught on fire. I quickly blew it out and looked at her. "See, not perfect all the time," I said, laughing as Kristy smacked me across the abs.
"Fine, that one will be mine." I grinned, placing the gooey cooked marshmallow on top of the cracker.
We took our smores into the living room and sat on the floor, watching a movie, while we ate them. As she popped the last bite of her smore into her mouth, Kristy looked over at me, grinning. "Those were great!" She giggled, her lower lip covered in chocolate and marshmallow.
"You, ah, have some stuff on your lip," I said, wiping my own lip in jest.
She wiped the same side, which was the opposite side of which the chocolate and marshmallow sat.
"Other side."
This time she missed it completely and continued to laugh, flopping down on the blanket we had layed out.
"Come here," I said, leaning overtop of her.
She looked up at me and her laughing slowly stopped as I wiped the mess of chocolate and marshmallow away with my thumb. The look in her eyes stopped me, and before I could stop myself, I bent and kissed her.
We were both hesitant at first, and after a couple lip grazes, we fell into a rhythm. Without taking my lips from hers, I fumbled with the remote, finally turning the TV off. I wanted silence, I wanted it to be just me and her. I wanted to get lost in her and forget everything. As our kiss deepened, I felt myself growing hard, and I hoped she couldn't feel me. I didn't want her to think that was all I wanted. The memory fell far from my mind the second she wrapped her arms around my neck, her hand resting on my cheek. She ran her fingers through my hair, sending shivers through me.
I had to pull away. It had been so long since I had been near a woman, I feared I was going to explode. I noticed almost instantly the pout that fell across her face. She had no worries. There was no way in hell that I was done with her. I just needed to collect myself. I scooped her up in my arms and stood and effortlessly carried her into the bedroom.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing my lips as I carried her into the bedroom and kicked the door shut. I placed her gently on the bed and reached behind me, pulling my shirt off over my head. I looked down at her. Her cheeks were flushed as her eyes wandered over my chest and down to the top of my jeans. I flicked the button of my jeans open and kneeled on the bed between her legs and leaned down, meeting her lips again.
9
Kristy
He held me in his arms as he kissed me, his hands roaming over my body. I could feel my excitement building. It had been so long since I had been turned on like this. I wanted him to touch me, to explore me deeper. I wanted him to know exactly how turned on I was.
He pulled away and now stood at the end of the bed. I could see the outline of his large, rigid cock through his jeans. I locked eyes with his as he kneeled on the bed. I gripped the hem of my shirt and hesitated, but then pulled it over my head. I watched his eyes fall from my face to my breasts, and I reached behind my back and unhooked the clasp, instantly feeling the fabric of my bra go lax.
I lay back on the bed and looked up at him before I closed my eyes. I wanted him to touch me so bad. I wanted to feel his rough, strong hands on my body. I wanted him to want me as badly as I wanted him.
He didn't move right away. I was afraid that perhaps we had gone a little further than we should have, but relief flooded through me when I felt him move closer. His rough fingers brushed my shoulders, slowly sliding the straps of my bra down my arms, sending surges of electricity through my body. I felt my nipples harden when the cold air brushed over them, and I almost bolted off the bed when I opened my eyes in time to watch as he bent down and took one in his mouth. Instantly, my hands went to his head and my fi
ngers gripped his dark hair as he sucked me into his mouth, my back arching off the mattress, pushing myself into his mouth.
He moved to the other before kissing his way up my neck and sucking on the lobe of my ear. My breathing was heavy while the ache between my legs became more intense as he continued, finally meeting my mouth. I raked my fingers across his strong back as he ground himself against me. Instantly, I wished he were between my legs, any pressure to help quell the throbbing ache I felt.
He tore himself away from me and got up off the bed, allowing his jeans to slip from his hips and drop to the floor. My eyes fell down his body and back up to his eyes, then with his eyes firmly planted on mine, he pushed the waistband of his boxers off his hips, allowing them to fall to the floor as well. I swallowed hard at the site of him. He was huge everywhere. I barely had any time to think about that fact as he grabbed me by the legs and pulled me down to the end of the bed, his strong hands gripping the waistband of my yoga pants, and he pulled them off me in one swift movement. His eyes were so hungry with need, I could feel it in my core. He stood there, taking every part of me in, like he wanted to devour me but was afraid to touch me. I sat up and ran my hands over his smooth hips, before leaning forward and placing a kiss on his hip. I looked up and met his eyes, I wanted to take him in my mouth so bad, but instead I placed a kiss on the other hip.
The second my lips left his hip, he placed his hand under my chin and gently lifted my head so I was looking at him. He brushed the strand of hair that had fallen into my face and leaned over and softly kissed me, barely brushing my lips with his. He gently pushed me backwards, and I allowed my body to fall back into the mattress and shimmied back up as he knelt between my legs, forcing them apart. My legs rested on each side of his thick, powerful thighs. He leaned forward and held himself over me, kissing me again. I had just gotten lost in his kiss when he pulled away and looked down at me. Our eyes locked, and I could feel the heat building in me as he ran his fingers through my wet center. I couldn't stop the moan from escaping my mouth as his fingers ran over the small bundle of nerves. He took my breath away as he did it again, this time concentrating more on the small bundle of nerves. I closed my eyes, and he surprised me by meeting my lips, muffling the moan that escaped me again when he slid two fingers inside of me.
His lips left mine, and I lay there with my eyes closed. I was afraid to open them, but when I did, I saw him watching me intently. His fingers slid deep inside of me, his thumb concentrating once again on that small bundle of nerves. I ran my hands over his back, running my one hand over his hip to his cock. I could already feel the bead of precum forming as I stroked him once.
"Fuck," he hissed, closing his eyes while I ran my hand over him again.
I wanted to feel him inside of me so bad, and I could feel the anxiety building at the fact that neither of us probably had a condom.
"I want to be inside of you," he breathed into my ear, sliding another finger into me and meeting my lips, kissing me deeply.
The second those words left his lips, I realized just how badly I wanted that too. I searched the deepest parts of my mind, trying to figure out how we were going to do this without a condom. Then I remembered the nightstand and that little basket of goodies.
"Hold on," I whispered. I reached over and grabbed the basket that contained all the stuff I had found earlier. I grabbed the box of condoms and ripped it open, grabbing one and handed him the package. He looked at the package like it was a foreign object, his eyes moving to mine.
"You're sure?" he questioned, studying my face.
I nodded. The silence in the room was almost deafening as he looked from me back to the package. He was hesitant at first, but he took the condom from me and ripped it open and rolled it over himself.
He lowered himself onto me and brushed the hair from my face, his hand cupping my cheek as he kissed me slower this time and reached between us, lining himself with my opening. I felt the pressure as he slid his thick cock into me.
Sex with him was unlike anything I had felt before. He held me in his arms, kissing me the entire time, while he pumped deeply into me. He was the tenderest lover I had ever been with. He took his time, and before I could stop it, I felt myself tightening around him, my body tensing while I called his name, as we came together.
He didn't rush from the bed or immediately roll over and go to sleep like the others I had been with either. Instead, he cleaned himself up, allowing me to do the same. When I crawled back into bed, he surprised my by pulling me into him and holding me in his arms. My head rested on his chest, his fingers running through my hair while he occasionally placed a kiss on my forehead. We lay in silence, watching the fireplace flicker.
Half hour later, Austin lay softly snoring, and I lay there thinking about what had happened between us. I wondered if perhaps this had been a mistake. I had always been afraid of this type of spontaneity. I wondered what he had been thinking, but then I decided that this wasn't really something that I should worry about. What happened had happened—two consenting adults having a good time. There was nothing to be ashamed of because I already knew that after this weekend there could be no more. His sister was my best friend.
I rolled over, closed my eyes, and tried to go to sleep. Instead, I lay there staring into the darkness, the only thought running through my mind was how it felt to be with him. How nice it would be to experience that all over again. The only problem was that I was in no way ready for a relationship. I still had to contend with Tom everyday at work, and until he was out of my life and I was over that hurt, there was no way I could open myself up to someone else.
I wasn't sure that Austin was ready for anything either. At times this weekend, I had caught a far-off look in his eyes, and when he spoke of Laura, I could see there was still love there, even though she was gone.
I blew out the breath I'd been holding and readjusted my pillow.
"Everything okay?" He mumbled.
I closed my eyes. I had thought he had gone to sleep. I didn't want him to think I was already feeling uneasy about what had just transpired. "Yes, of course."
He didn't say anything, and it was that moment that I decided I wasn't going to complicate any of this. I was going to just close my eyes, go to sleep, and know that this weekend was good for mixing things up in my life a little bit. Then I felt the bed move and felt him slip his arm underneath the crook of my neck, his other arm coming around my waist and pulling me back into him. I closed my eyes, the feeling of being against his hard body almost too much for me to bare emotionally. My body betrayed me though, relaxing against him as he brushed my hair back and gently placed a kiss on my bare shoulder, tightening his grip around my waist. I rested my hand on his, and he placed his large hand on top of mine, kissing me again before I closed my eyes and just allowed myself to relax.
10
Austin
I lay on my back, my arms crossed behind my head, and stared up at the ceiling. I hadn't slept much. Kristy had pretty much fallen asleep within minutes of me holding her in my arms. I glanced over at her. She lay on her stomach, sound asleep. I rolled over onto my side and watched her sleep. I wanted to wake her so badly, but she looked so peaceful. I thought about last night, holding her tightly in my arms, and about her soft touch as her fingers ran over me. I could still hear her moans as she climaxed, and my cock stirred at the thought.
I also realized that Kristy had been the first woman I had been with since Laura had died. She was the first everything—the first one I'd even thought about touching, the first one I'd kissed, and the first one I'd slept with. I never thought that all the firsts would happen all in one night, but everything felt so right. I just hoped it had been as mind blowing for her as it had been for me. At the same time, that thought frightened the shit out of me because it had never been mind blowing with Laura. We had never been that in sync with one another, even at the height of our relationship.
Kristy started to stir and rolled onto her back. I didn't
want her to find me watching her—it may freak her out—so I got up, pulled on my grey sweats, and headed to the kitchenette to make us some coffee. While that was brewing, I searched the internet for the Applejack Diner. Once I'd found it, I picked up the phone and ordered breakfast delivery from them.
With breakfast on the way, I filled two mugs with coffee and carried them into the bedroom, setting them both on the nightstand. I knelt on the bed, brushed her hair from her neck, and kissed her shoulder. "Good morning," I whispered.
"Mmmm, morning," she said sleepily as she opened her pretty blue eyes.
"I have fresh coffee here for you, and breakfast is on its way."
She gripped the blankets and sat up, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and bringing it around her neck to rest on her right shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered, taking the mug from me.
I sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, coffee in hand, watching Kristy take her first sip. She was quiet, staring down at her mug.
"Austin, I..." A knock on the door caused Kristy to stop speaking.
"That must be breakfast. Hold that thought," I said, heading to the door.
Armed with a tray I'd found in the kitchenette, I carried it into the bedroom and set it on the bed. "Breakfast is served." I grinned, lifting the cover off the two plates.
Kristy's eyes lit up at the stack of fresh steaming blueberry waffles and bacon. "Austin, this looks amazing."
"I figured you might be hungry," I said, leaning in and kissing her. "I ordered them from the Applejack Diner."
Kristy's eyes lit up and she picked up a waffle and broke a piece off. "These are fantastic."
We dug into the food, and soon the plates were almost empty. Just like last night, we were still in sync, Kristy snagging the last bite of waffles while I snagged the last piece of bacon. I took the tray and set it on the floor and crawled back in the bed.
A smear of maple syrup was on Kristy's lip, and instead of saying anything, I leaned in and kissed her, sucking her bottom lip into my mouth. "You taste like syrup," I said, kissing her again. "Good enough to eat."
Fireside Love Page 5