by Ellen Devlin
He tried to smile at Liz when she joked about the quizzes, but he was starting to feel trapped at the table. There was no way to get up and walk outside to get a breath of air without causing a disruption. He wasn’t listening to the speeches, and the intermittent applause was jarring his nerves. Tom could feel himself getting…
What? What the fuck is the problem, anyway? Is this anxiety? Claustrophobia? Fear of goddamn tuxedos? Whatever it was, his brain translated it down into anger. And he was getting angry.
He hadn’t realized his hand was clenched into a fist on his thigh until he felt Liz’s hand move over it. And then past it, onto his thigh, near his knee. And then just on the inside of his knee. And she just left her hand there, moving her fingers slightly, caressing the inside of his knee lightly under the table, hidden by the tablecloth.
He unclenched his fist, shifted, and moved his arm around her shoulder, encouraging her to pull her chair closer to his so she could sit close by his side. She was still just gently caressing the inside of his knee, but that had been enough to shift the gears in his brain.
Now that they were sitting closer together, Liz took advantage and moved her hand slightly higher on the inside of Tom’s leg. She was sitting close enough to him that she felt the slightest hitch in his breathing and smiled to herself. His arousal always excited her. That was the way it had always been for her. Knowing that she was turning him on was doing things for her too.
Tom turned his head to breathe into her hair for moment and kissed the top of her head.
***
Paige had been watching Liz deal with Tom off and on during the evening. It was fascinating, really. Ever since the evening after the beach trip when Chris had mentioned that Liz could diffuse Tom’s anger, she had paid more attention than she used to when watching her friend interact with other people. She had been serious, though, about not wanting Liz’s evening to be ruined by one of Tom’s foul moods, so she had kept slightly more of an eye on their interactions than she might have otherwise.
Liz had been flirting with Tom. A lot. Which was completely normal for her, especially under the circumstances. She was clearly going for distraction to try to keep him in a good mood, or at least out of a truly foul one. And Tom was clearly enjoying it and flirting in return. She had tried to relax and not worry about the two of them. Liz was more than capable of handling herself.
But now, watching them at dinner, she realized what had been nagging at her brain this whole evening. There was a comfort level between them that was beyond flirting. They weren’t just flirting. They were acting like a couple, not just like they were on a date.
***
Tom felt her hand moving higher up his thigh. Pretty soon she was going to be meeting something other than his leg, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. They were sitting in the middle of a room full of people, and Tom was not an exhibitionist by nature. Some flirting and play was one thing, but he didn’t know how far Liz intended to take this; she was constantly surprising him, and this had the possibility of being way too far out of his comfort zone.
She moved her hand up another inch and grazed him. He jumped slightly, gripping her more tightly around the shoulders, and used the cover of applause to lean down and say, “That’s not my thigh, sweetheart. I’m not sure you should do that again. I need to be able to walk out of here at some point.”
Liz leaned up and breathed in his ear, “I’ll be careful, I promise. Nothing that will run the risk of an embarrassing situation.”
She started to reach for him again, and he held her wrist for a moment, looking at her. Her eyes were playful and smoky, and he wanted to let her do whatever she wanted. At the opportunity of more applause, he spoke again.
“I don’t think you have any idea how careful you would need to be, and I don’t think it’s possible for you to be that careful.” He leaned closer. “So you need to move your hand down a few inches, because you’re making me crazy.” He said it into her ear. His voice was low, and it rumbled through her while his breath stirred every nerve ending in her ear. And then, for good measure, he grazed his lips just under her ear. She was unable to stop the shiver. Tom chuckled.
***
The speeches were done. Finally. Liz excused herself to go to the restroom, and Paige went with her. She said, “You two seemed cozy. What’s up, Liz?”
Liz smiled and said, “Hey, it’s a date. I get to act the part. Since when would I turn down the excuse to flirt excessively with the best-looking guy I’ve ever met? How about you? Are you guys having fun?”
Paige looked at her, a little surprised that she wasn’t sharing more information. “Sure. Chris is good at this kind of thing, and I’ve never minded.”
“God knows you’re perfect for this—you make gorgeous arm candy even when you’re not trying. It’s annoying, actually.” Liz winked at her friend.
“Oh, please. Stop changing the subject.” She caught Liz’s eye in the mirror as they prepared to go back out to the guys. “What was going on at dinner?”
Cornered, Liz went with the easiest answer—the truth. Or at least part of it. “I had my hand on his knee under the table.” Paige’s eyebrows went up, and Liz looked a little sheepish. “It’s possible that my judgment has been slightly impaired by the combination of alcohol and an excessively attractive man in a tuxedo. I’m having a lovely time, though. I’m so glad that Chris pestered Tom into this. I need to thank him again.”
***
Liz and Paige came up to Tom and Chris, who were standing together waiting for them. Tom was saying, “I’m glad that part is over. I always feel like I’m trapped during the speeches. It makes me want to gnaw off a limb to get away.”
Chris said, “Micky, you looked more relaxed than I’ve ever seen you at a formal event. I don’t know what she’s slipping into your drinks, but I’m going to ask Liz if I can get some for your water bottle in the locker room.”
The girls had just arrived. Liz laughed. “Oh, Chris, you can’t bottle this dress. And you wouldn’t look nearly as good in it.”
“And I feel the need for some brain bleach to get rid of the image that caused. Yikes.” Paige shuddered dramatically.
The four of them joked for a while longer, but Liz could see Tom was starting to lose his cool again. So much of what he was feeling showed on his face, and she wondered if he was at all aware when he started scowling.
They sat at a nearby high table to sip drinks. Liz wandered over to grab a new beer, and Paige and Chris began talking with some friends who stopped by the table. After a few moments, Liz returned to the table, put the beer in front of Tom, who was now fully scowling and looking annoyed, and had him lean down so that she could say something into his ear.
“I was just thinking that you look like a man in need of a blowjob. Meet me in five minutes.” And then she walked off as if she was simply going to get a new drink for herself. There was a powerful surge to his groin, and his heart started beating faster. He turned to watch her walk away, completely taken by surprise yet again.
Paige happened to be watching from across the table. She was looking at Tom, noticing that he was starting to look irritable and unpleasant again. Just as she was wondering what, if anything, she should do or say, Liz walked up, handed him a beer, and whispered something to him. Whatever it was clearly stunned him enough to snap him out of his bad mood. He was now just watching Liz walk away, wide-eyed.
Paige spoke up. “Micky?”
He was still staring, but now his eyes were looking less surprised and more…something else.
“Hey, Mick.”
He turned with a start and looked at her, his mind clearly not fully at the table with them.
She thought about asking what Liz had said but decided to go with, “Are you doing okay? You looked pissed off a minute ago.”
“No, I’m all right. Thanks for asking, though.” Tom got up and started to walk toward the door. “I’m going to get some air for a few minutes.”
***
Tom used his key to open the door to the room and found Liz waiting for him. It was her turn to drag him into the room. She kissed him, hard, while she was undoing his pants. They dropped to the floor, and she dropped down in front of him, wasting no time. “Oh God, Liz.” Tom groaned. He was still just inside the doorway. So far they hadn’t even made it all the way inside the room.
Liz thought for just a moment about moving so that he could sit on the bed or in the chair, but she had felt an urgency, a need to take him, and he was clearly feeling the same urgency based on his responses.
Tom had never felt an orgasm building this quickly from oral sex. The combination of the setting…and the secrecy…and how she had brought him here specifically for this…and how sexy and amazing she was…and the things she was now doing with her mouth…he was not going to last long at all. He had his hands resting gently on the top of her head, trying not to grip her hair, already moving his hips in time with her movements, already feeling the overwhelming pressure wave forming. He was breathing hard and fast, starting to lose himself.
“Oh God, Liz, I’m gonna come.”
She responded by gripping his ass in both hands, and he twined his fingers through her hair and came apart for her for the second time that night.
He leaned his head back against the door and closed his eyes, laughing, as she stood back up, pulling his pants back up as she moved.
“Silk boxers. I hadn’t even noticed the first time. Very sexy, McCullin.” She dragged her hand over the silk and what was now underneath.
“Holy crap, I don’t know if I can walk.” He smiled at her, and her heart melted.
“I’m enjoying you looking sex-drunk in public,” she said, winking at him. “You’d better go—at least be holding a real drink so it’s believable.”
He caught her around the waist and kissed her. “That was amazing.” His voice was low, and he spoke slowly, sounding for all the world a little drunk. “I definitely want to return that favor sometime very soon.”
Her breath caught, her heart sped up again, and she kissed him and pushed him away. “You have to go, because that is way too tempting right now. But don’t worry, I won’t forget. I’ve decided to keep score.”
He laughed again and said, “Really? Now you’re keeping score? I seem to recall a few times where there was a good three-to-one ratio in my favor…”
“That was before I started keeping score. My game, my rules,” she said, teasing.
He put one hand along her jaw and up under her ear and kissed her. And then he smiled and said, “I don’t know why I thought I would be able to kiss you just once this time,” and kissed her again, and again.
She pushed him away again. “Go. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
***
Once again, less than ten minutes had passed, and once again, he felt like he was wearing a sign that said, “Just Received Magnificent Blowjob.” And yet, no one seemed to notice.
He wandered up to where Paige and Chris were talking with a few other folks and slipped into the circle of conversation, listening to the discussion with less than half his brain. Paige noticed him join in and also noticed he looked far more relaxed than he had all evening. Amazingly relaxed. Drunk relaxed. No, not drunk…
She narrowed her eyes for a moment and then shook her head. Holy shit. He just got laid. She didn’t know whether to be excited for her friend, or concerned, or upset that Liz hadn’t said anything. This is definitely a strange turn of events. She looked over at Chris, who was clearly oblivious.
Liz joined the circle a few minutes later, standing next to Tom, who put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head when she stood near him, pausing for a moment to close his eyes and breathe in her hair.
Paige was quietly taking in all of this.
Oh, this has been going on for a while.
Chapter Thirteen
There were just a few more obligations as part of the evening, including photographs. Tom was even able to smile for them. Chris was amazed. “Okay, Micky. You know I don’t usually do this, but shit—would you please ask her out for real? You’re smiling! At a formal event!”
Tom bristled, and Chris sighed. “Fuck. Fine. Mick, I’m sorry. Your personal life is your own. You thorny bastard.” He slapped Tom on the back. “Go find her. I just disrupted your groove, and now you’re all grouchy again. Don’t blame me, though, for trying to save you from yourself, you dumb fucker.”
He walked off shaking his head, and Tom scowled after him.
***
Chris walked past Liz, saying, “I just pissed off your date. Sorry about that. Looks like you’ve got work to do.”
She was surprised, wondering what could have happened between them in such a short period of time. They hadn’t been talking alone for very long at all. Liz walked up to Tom, who was definitely looking angry, and put her hand in his.
“Not now, Liz.”
“Yes, now.” He looked at her and glared. She met his look without flinching. “I’m not sure what just happened between you and Chris, but I’m not willing to let this wreck a great evening between you and me.” She stepped closer to him. “I’m willing to give you a little while to cool off if that will help. But I was not planning on leaving this evening without using the bed in that room.” She stepped closer still. “I was really hoping it would be with you and not just by myself. I’m going to be naked in the middle of that bed in ten minutes.”
He was still scowling, but much less so, and she definitely had his attention. All of his attention.
She pulled him down by his lapel and finally breathed in his ear, “I’ll be starting by myself, but I really want you to join me.” She blew gently in his ear, and it hit every nerve ending, finishing the short-circuiting of all his brain cells.
“Shit.”
She walked away.
He didn’t even remember why he was fucking angry. He knew that he was angry, or had been, but all the extra blood in his body had been diverted south. When was the last time I had sex three times in the space of four hours?
***
Chris walked up to Paige, exasperated, and told her what had happened. She looked over and saw Liz approaching Tom. She elbowed Chris and said, “Watch.”
They watched the interaction, which took just a few minutes, and Chris just said, “Holy shit. Magical superpowers.” Paige smirked a little. She was pretty sure what those magical superpowers actually were, but she wasn’t going to say anything before talking with her friend. She needed answers, and the last thing she wanted to do was to accidentally start any rumors.
“I think he’s crazy about her, Paige. He’s just being a stubborn prick about it. I can’t even imagine why.”
“I don’t know, hon.” Paige sighed. “I’m glad they’re having fun tonight, though.” She kissed her husband. “It was a great idea to get them together for this.”
***
She was waiting for him as promised, in the middle of the king-sized bed. Naked. And she had indeed started without him. When he walked in, he found her there, with one hand on her breast, teasingly circling her nipple, and the other between her legs, teasingly circling her clit, one leg bent at the knee. Her skin was flushed, and she was breathing hard. Her head was back on the pillows, lips parted, eyes closed.
He thought it was the most erotically beautiful scene he had ever laid eyes on, and it made his heart constrict in his chest at the same time as he hardened to iron.
She opened her eyes as she heard him growl and smiled as he walked toward her. But when he reached to start taking his clothes off, she said, “No, leave them on. Take me with your tux on, Tom.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“Really?”
She was still moving her hands, slowly, teasingly. “Yes.” She gasped, and he stared. “You can take the jacket off. Everything else stays on. You are so fucking handsome.” There were occasional small gasps from her, as her hands were making just tiny motions which were, apparently,
exquisitely effective.
He took off his jacket and undid the fly of his pants, releasing his erection. “I want to do that to you. What you’re doing. The way you’re touching yourself. I want to touch you like that.”
“Next time, Tom, please, yes.” She reached up and drew him down for a kiss with one hand and pulled him to enter her with the other. “Next time I want you to touch me like that all night.” She moaned in pleasure as he pressed into her deeply. “I want you to not stop even if I beg you to.”
He started moving, deep, steady, slowly. “I want you to tease me like that until I come and then keep teasing me until I come again.” She moaned louder, moving under him, pushing the pace.
He was trying to go slower this time, but she had been driving this train all night, and he wasn’t going to upset anything now.
She kissed him and looked at him. “I will, you know. I will come just from teasing. Just from you touching me softly, gently, over and over.” She was rocking her hips, forcing the pace.
He was already starting to lose rhythm; her voice, her words, were driving him crazy. He didn’t realize that he could be so turned on from her talking to him during sex.
She was bucking and grinding under him by this point. Tom was just trying to hang on and not come before her. It was going to be a close call. This woman was driving him insane in every way possible.
“Tom,” she breathed, groaning, “Tom, talk to me, please. Tell me when you’re going to come. Your voice makes me crazy.”
“Christ, Liz. Now. Oh God, now. I’m going to come now,” and he buried his face in her neck and bellowed as she clamped around him in pulsing spasms.
When he could breathe again, he said against her neck, “I really don’t know if I can walk this time.”