The Absolute Novels: Absolute Beginners & Absolute Lovers: The Absolutely Complete Love Story (An Absolute Novel)

by Sj Hooks

  "And things are going well with you and Sophia?" I enquired, although it wasn't necessary. Shawn looked as if he had been lit up from the inside.

  "I'm going to marry that girl," he proclaimed proudly.

  What?

  "What?" Matt sputtered, echoing my thoughts. "You asked her to marry you?"

  "No," Shawn said with a laugh and held up his hands. "Not yet. But someday I will."

  He stared dreamily into space and I found my mind wandering as well, and suddenly I had a vision of Julia in the most unusual wedding dress. It was white, but that was the only traditional thing about it. It was short, accentuating her curves, and had a black silk ribbon around the waist, making her look like the greatest gift I could ever imagine receiving. I’d never seen anything like it before and wondered if one could even get a dress like that. When I married Julia I would want her to wear something she loved, and there was no doubt in my mind that she would love that dress.

  "Aw dude, not you too!" Matt exclaimed.

  "What?"

  "Stop daydreaming like Shawn and let's get on with the sex talk," Matt said.

  "Ooh, sex talk," Shawn said. "What are we talking about?"

  "Jules wants a spanking and Stephen is being a baby about it.”

  "I am not!" I half-yelled. "I just…look, I just don't know if I can hit her. I love her."

  "Stephen," Shawn said gently. "You're not actually going to hit her. There's a big difference between spanking and hitting."

  "There is?"

  "Of course," he said. "I'm pretty sure the sort of spanking that Jules wants is all about pleasure."

  "But how do I know if I'm doing it too hard?"

  "Just start out gently and as long as she's still moaning, you should be fine. You should just tell her to let you know if it gets to be too much. You can always check to see if she's getting wetter while you do it. Oh, and don't hit the same spot over and over again. Spread it around, you know. Ass, upper thighs…”

  He lowered his voice, giving me a meaningful look.

  “Between her legs. Some girls love that.”

  I stared at him, feeling my cheeks heat up. He was so at ease about the whole thing, and it obviously wasn't a big deal for him to talk about something so intimate.

  "O-OK," I squeaked. "Um, thank you, Shawn."

  "Wow," Matt said to his friend. "You really know your shit. Have you done a lot of freaky stuff?"

  "I guess." He shrugged. "Sex is fantastic as long as you do it with the right person."

  I found myself nodding. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

  "You really don't mind?"

  I had never felt comfortable discussing sex with anyone other than Julia, but I was beginning to see how it might be beneficial to get a few pointers from someone with a lot more experience than I had.

  "Not at all," he said with a smile. "That's what friends are for, right?"

  Warmth spread through my chest. I had always considered Shawn to be Matt's friend, while I was the geeky brother who tagged along. But it seemed that he genuinely counted me as one of his friends.

  "What do you want to know?"

  "Well," I started. "Julia has a lot more, uh, experience than I do and I sort of wanted to surprise her by taking complete control. She's always teaching me new things and I want to bring something to the table as well. So to speak."

  "I'm sure you already do," Shawn assured me. "But I see what you mean."

  "You should totally tie her up and do stuff to her. Maybe even blindfold her," my brother chimed in. "She likes being tied up, right?"

  "I think so," I said. "She did mention something like that once. That's actually a great idea.” I smiled at my brother and he beamed back at me, happy to contribute to the conversation.

  "Ooh!" he exclaimed. "You should get some toys too!"

  It seemed that my brother was on a roll because Shawn nodded eagerly.

  "L-like…s-sex toys?” I stuttered. “Girls like that?"

  "Totally!" Matt said. "I've never met a girl who didn't love vibrators."

  “Oh, I suppose. And where might one get one of those?” I enquired, not feeling good about this at all.

  "I know just the place!" Shawn said. “You wanna go right now?”

  Both of them seemed eager, and I didn’t want to be a wet blanket. I finally felt like I belonged, so I agreed.

  So the three of us drove to a store called Good Vibrations. It looked like a regular shop from the outside—except it had screens in front of the windows, making it impossible to see inside.

  "Are you sure this place is…uh, clean?" I asked as we stood outside.

  "I promise," Shawn said. "It's not what you think at all."

  You don't know what I'm thinking!

  They finally dragged me inside and I looked around. I had expected it to be dark and dank, but was completely surprised to see that it was bright and seemed very hygienic. It looked like any other store—if you didn't take the inventory into account, of course.

  Shawn quickly found a salesperson and I ended up following them around the store while they picked out various items. I knew what some were for, but some I didn't. I was in a daze. Matt was off looking at God knows what and Shawn had completely taken over my shopping, saving me from having to stutter my way through the experience. Still, I was uneasy about the whole thing.

  "Stephen, you trust me, right?" he asked as we stood at the counter.

  "Err, sure," I answered.

  "Good. Then buy this stuff for you and Jules. You won't be disappointed."

  He motioned to a small pile and I nodded. The salesperson rang it all up and handed me the bag. I managed to mumble a “thank you” before we left, much too soon for Matt, who said he was definitely coming back once Megan came to her senses. His words, not mine. I looked in my bag once we were in the car and started going through the things that I had just spent quite a lot of money on. One item in particular caught my attention.

  What good does this do?

  The vibrator was about the same size as my index finger, a deep purple color with ridges on the surface.

  "Um, Shawn," I said and held it up. "This, uh, isn't it a little small? Are you sure something a little, um, bigger wouldn't be more satisfactory? More in proportion to…uh, the real thing?"

  Both Matt and Shawn laughed.

  "Stephen, that’s not meant for…what you think it’s meant for," Shawn chuckled.

  Huh?

  Both of them looked expectantly at me while suppressing grins.

  "I don't get it," I admitted sheepishly.

  "Just think about it," Matt guffawed. "You're a smart guy."

  I shook my head and dropped it into the bag again. I picked up a tube in a matching purple hue and read out loud.

  "Astroglide. What is that?"

  Matt snickered.

  "It's lube," Shawn explained. "It makes penetration easier."

  "Oh," I simply said, although I didn't know why we would have use for that. I had never had problems arousing Julia in the past.

  "I guess I have some research to do," I mumbled, mostly to myself.

  "Just call it porn, bro," Matt grinned. "You're among friends."

  "That's not what I—" I started, but gave up when both of them laughed again.

  I had honestly intended to look at some articles on more advanced sexplay, since pornography had never been very alluring to me. The women were too artificial with their silicone implants, dyed hair, and overtanned skin. In the few clips I’d seen, their orgasmic squealing had started the moment the man touched them, which only served to remind me of my own failures of the past. I had never managed to watch more than a few minutes before turning it off. But I knew that Shawn and Matt probably wouldn't believe me, so I let them draw their own conclusions. After tonight it would take a lot to embarrass me in front of them.

  I looked in the bag again, noticing that Shawn had also chosen handcuffs, a sleep mask, and a regular-sized vibrator as well. The last item
I saw looked like a Ping-Pong paddle.

  For the spanking.

  * * *

  Arriving back at the bar, I thanked the guys for the outing, ignoring my brother’s crude comments and Shawn’s enthusiastic encouragement as I headed to my car with the bag of toys clutched in my hand. I drove home quickly. Pausing outside my door, I drew a deep breath, trying to will away my anxiety. Julia wanted this, and I wanted nothing more than to please her and make her happy.

  “Just do it!” I ordered myself in a harsh whisper. “What’s wrong with you? Most men would love this!”

  Determined, I entered my apartment, heading straight into the bedroom where I hid the bag underneath the bed. That way, it would be ready when I needed it in a few minutes. I removed my jacket and shoes before unbuttoning the collar of my shirt. I hoped I looked the part, although I had no idea what sort of role I was playing.

  Be assertive. She likes when you take control.

  I headed into my office, seeing her bent over one of the books. The rest of them were once again scattered all over the desk and I could only assume that this was a good thing in her world. It made me smile.

  "You're home," she said, looking up from her reading. "I missed you."

  My heart skipped a beat, hearing her sweet words.

  "I missed you too, sweetheart," I replied, kneeling to give her a slow, gentle kiss. "How’s everything going?"

  "It's getting there," she said with a smile. "I'm almost done."

  Remembering what I was supposed to do, I stood up, holding out my hand to her.

  “I want you in the bedroom now.”

  She quirked an eyebrow at me.

  “Really?”

  “Now, Ms. Wilde.”

  “Well, well,” she chuckled. “I mean, yes, sir.” She took my hand and followed me.

  It’s no big deal. You’ve had sex lots of times. This isn’t any different.

  “Take your clothes off,” I ordered when we got to the bedroom.

  Julia did as I asked without hesitation and I relaxed a little as I felt my body react to her nakedness. Perhaps I could do this. Do this for her.

  “You’re so beautiful,” I whispered, pulling her against me.

  “Thank you, sir,” she breathed, gazing up at me.

  “And sexy,” I added, reaching down to knead her backside, none too gently.

  “So are you,” she said, standing up on her toes, offering me her lips.

  I moaned as I kissed her, loving the feeling of her naked body beneath my hands and the way she reacted to my touch. Breaking the kiss, I pushed her down on the bed, much more roughly than I normally would. She gasped a little, but then she smiled at me, lying back in supplication. Crawling on top of her, I took control of the situation, holding her hands down as I claimed her mouth and then ordering her not to move as I kissed and nipped my way down her gorgeous body. Soon she writhed underneath me, begging me to let her come. I had to admit, it was incredibly arousing.

  “I’m not sure you deserve it,” I murmured, teasing her entrance with the tip of my finger.

  “Please, please, Professor,” she panted, lifting her hips off the bed.

  Slipping my fingers inside her, I inhaled sharply, feeling how turned on she was. She was undoubtedly ready for me, and I needed to move it along. She groaned with frustration when I removed my hands from her.

  “Turn over, Ms. Wilde,” I ordered, startled at the gravelly quality of my voice. Julia opened her eyes and looked at me, a smile tugging at her lips.

  “Yes, Professor.”

  Slowly, she rolled over on her stomach, getting up on her hands and knees, arching her back and parting her legs. She was incredible, and it still felt surreal that I was the one she’d chosen. I wanted to be everything she had ever wanted in a lover, because she was everything I’d ever dreamed of.

  “Bad girl,” I whispered, mustering up my courage. “You should be finishing up your paper.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I ran my hands down the length of her body, enjoying the softness of her skin and the plumpness of her behind.

  “You’re not sorry?”

  “No,” she breathed out. “I’m too horny to care.”

  A smile tugged at my mouth, knowing she couldn’t see my face.

  “I can do something about that,” I said, swallowing down all ingrained sense of propriety in me. “I can fuck you, Julia. Do you want me to?”

  “Yes, please!”

  I didn’t bother taking my clothes off. Instead, I merely pulled my pants and boxers down. Sinking into her, I moaned loudly. It never ceased to amaze me just how good it felt being inside her. Lifting my left hand, I stared at it for a second, hesitating.

  It’s OK. She wants you to.

  I held my breath, bringing my palm into contact with her skin with a loud slapping sound. Julia let out a small squeak and I froze up.

  She’s not moaning, like Shawn said I should listen for. I must be doing it wrong!

  Remembering the bag of toys I’d purchased, I pulled out of her. The paddle was probably better. I had to get this right. I had to show her I could be everything she wanted.

  “J-just a second,” I mumbled, leaning down to reach underneath the bed. “I promise, you’ll—shit!” I lost my balance, tumbling off the bed and landing on my side.

  “Stephen?!”

  Scrambling around, I tried to get up, but my feet were tangled up in my pants and boxers, and I ended up flopping about for several seconds before I managed to kick them off, swearing underneath my breath in the process.

  “Baby, you OK?”

  Feeling equal parts mortified and frustrated, I forced myself to look up at Julia, who was now sitting up, more alluring than ever, naked with flushed cheeks and mussed-up hair.

  What’s she doing with me? I’m a loser! I’m a failure.

  “I can’t do this!” I lamented, gripping my hair so tightly it was painful. “I tried, but I can’t, Julia, I just can’t! I’m sorry!”

  “Stephen, baby, it’s all right—”

  “No! It’s not. I wanted to give you everything. Look! I got all this stuff,” I rambled, pulling the bag out and dumping the contents on the bed next to her. “I bought all of this, and you’d probably be so sexy, blindfolded and in handcuffs, but I don’t even know what half this stuff is for! I can’t do it!”

  I grabbed the small purple vibrator, waving it around like a maniac.

  “I failed! I failed you.”

  “No,” Julia said, placing her hand on top of mine to bring my waving to an end. “No, this is my fault.”

  “What?”

  “I pushed you, Stephen. I made you think I need all this stuff. I don’t.” Standing up on her knees, she pulled me down to join her on the edge of the bed.

  “I don’t need all of this,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

  “It…it wasn’t you,” I said, feeling calmer. “It was Matt and Shawn. They said girls loved this sort of thing. And you, ah, expressed a desire to be, you know, spanked.”

  “Baby,” she said, so very softly. “All I was looking for was a few slaps on my ass when you fucked me and maybe a little dirty talk. I thought it would be fun. I didn’t expect you to buy anything like this.” She held up the paddle.

  “I messed up, didn’t I?” I whispered. “I just wanted you to be happy.”

  “Stephen, I am happy. So incredibly happy. And for the record, I love our sex.” She leaned over to kiss me and I let her, beyond relieved that I hadn’t ruined everything.

  “I do like it when you take control, you know that,” she continued. “What you did just now—that was such a turn-on. But if you didn’t like it, we’ll never do something like that again.”

  “No, I…I liked it too. Just not the part where I had to use that on you,” I told her, nodding my head toward the paddle in her hand. I looked around at the rest of my purchases.

  “And all of this, I don’t know. Would you enjoy using some of it?”

  “I prob
ably would,” Julia admitted. “But I wouldn’t want to do it without you. I’d only want us to use it together.”

  I smiled a little, placing my hand on top of hers. She smiled back at me and the mood lightened considerably.

  “What’s the purpose of this one, anyway?” I asked, holding the purple vibrator. “The guys wouldn’t tell me. Just that it wasn’t for, err, your vagina.”

  Julia smirked.

  “It’s not. I don’t have a lot of experience in that area, believe it or not, but I’m pretty sure it’s a…how can I put this—a vibrator for a butt.”

  Blood rushed to my face.

  “Oh.” I chuckled. “That would explain the lubrication they made me buy.”

  We looked at each other and both of us started laughing.

  “We don’t need this,” Julia said, and gathered the items together before putting them back in the bag. Then she tossed them underneath my bed.

  “There,” she said with a smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “Can I just ask one thing?”

  I nodded cautiously.

  “What made you go out and buy all those things? Did you think I was unhappy with our sex life?”

  “No. Not consciously, anyway,” I said. “I was nervous when you asked me to spank you, and so I talked to Matt and Shawn, because, you know, they have a lot more experience than I do. It just took on a life of its own from there. I should’ve just said no when Shawn suggested going to that place.”

  Julia took my hand in hers.

  “When you say ‘not consciously,’ is there a part of you that’s worrying? You said you bought all of that for me.”

  “Maybe,” I whispered. “I thought maybe you’d like a take-charge kind of guy for a change. You’ve taught me so much, and I just don’t want you to get bored with me.”

  “That will never happen,” Julia insisted. “Baby, I know it was all about sex in the beginning, but it’s so much more now. And you know that, too.”

  I nodded.

  “You’re all I need. So if you want to get rid of all of the things in that bag, it’s perfectly fine with me, I swear.”

  “Well, I did like the, um, handcuffs,” I admitted. “And maybe the blindfold too.” I looked at her. “Maybe…we can just leave the bag where it is for now, and talk more about it later on?”