by Shay Savage
“Did you have fun tonight?” Nate says as we arrive back at my apartment.
“It was fantastic!” I beam at him. “Everyone has been talking about it for so long, I thought I might have gotten my hopes up too high, but it was really fun. And thank you again for the bear!”
I hug the tiny stuffed bear Nate had won for me by throwing darts at balloons.
“Hey, that’s all part of the package deal, isn’t it? I have to win stuffed animals for you, or I’m not really a man. It’s in the handbook.”
We laugh together.
“Do you want some wine?” I ask.
“Is it the dollar store stuff?”
“It is.”
“I suppose so. Do you have any peanut butter to go with it?”
“Are you actually hungry? My stomach is still pissed off about the sheer amount of sugar I’ve eaten today!”
“No such thing as too much maple candy.”
I hand Nate the wine, and he opens the screw top with a roll of his eyes. He fills our glasses, and we move over to the couch, sitting close together. I kick off my shoes, and we talk only briefly before the glasses sit forgotten on the coffee table, and I’m in Nate’s arms.
We kiss, slowly at first, but then Nate pulls back, his hand cupping the side of my face.
“You’re amazingly beautiful,” he says, and my face heats up.
Nate gives me that mischievous half smile of his, and then his mouth is on mine. I’m lost in the sensation as if the rest of the apartment around us, the town of Cascade Falls, and maybe even the rest of the world no longer exist. The only indication that there is anything outside of us is the faint hint of maple flavor in his mouth as his tongue caresses mine.
I feel his hands on my arms, my shoulders, and then my back. One of his hands moves to the nape of my neck, then rises to tangle in my hair. He groans into my mouth, and I know what’s coming next.
He’ll walk out.
Running my hands over his chest, I desperately want to unbutton his shirt and push it off of him, but I also know what that will lead to. Like every other night, he’ll suddenly push away from me and leave as if he were protecting my virtue.
Maybe another tactic.
I pull back slightly, reach down, and quickly yank my own shirt over my head, tossing it to the floor before I press up against him again. I grab the back of his head, pressing my lips to his and holding him there as he groans into my mouth.
I feel his hands on the bare skin of my back. His finger trails over the edge of my bra, and he moans again. I lean backward, pulling him with me until I feel the cushions of the couch below me, and Nate is on top of me. He breaks the kiss, eyes still closed, then attacks my neck with his lips. He moves blissfully down, and I feel his lips against the top of my breast, right above my bra. I toss my head back and push my chest closer to him.
He breaks away.
“I should go,” Nate whispers.
Right on cue.
I grip his shirt, pulling him closer to me and smashing my lips into his. He groans into my mouth again, and his hands slide down to my hips. Feeling more brazen than usual, I release his shirt and move my hands to his back, but only for a moment. I let both hands fall from his shoulders to his backside, then grab his ass-cheeks and pull him against me.
Nate moans.
“Oh, fuck! Cherry!” He tilts his head, kissing down my jaw and neck. He grinds against me.
“Don’t go.” I barely whisper the words. “Stay here.”
“Holy Mary, Mother of…” Nate mutters and then shakes his head. “You are really making this hard.”
“It’s already hard,” I say as I push up against him.
Nate moans and grinds against me again. I feel his hot breath on my neck. My breath quickens, and my entire body shudders. I quickly reach for his shirt buttons, and he doesn’t try to stop me this time. A moment later, his shirt joins mine on the floor, and I run my hands over his bare chest, staring unabashedly at the hard muscles.
He leans forward, his mouth on my throat, and I reach around to grip his bare shoulders. The warmth of his skin penetrates me, and I angle my hips in his direction, enjoying the way it makes him pause, moan, and breathe hot breath on my neck.
“I don’t want to screw this up, Cherry.”
“You aren’t. Please, Nate!”
He lets out a long groan.
“I wanted to wait…” He shakes his head but doesn’t move his lips from my neck. “I want you so much, my Cherice.”
“I don’t want to wait anymore, Nate.”
I cover his mouth with mine, hoping if he can’t talk, he won’t be able to protest any further. I separate my legs a little, feel his hard length slip between my thighs and wish he’d just take his pants off already.
“Fuck this,” he mutters. “I can’t resist anymore.”
As he says it, he starts to pull away from me. I cling to his shoulders in a desperate attempt to keep him close to me, but apparently, I’ve misinterpreted. He doesn’t stand to pull his shirt back on and leave—he stands just long enough to reach down and pick me up, bridal style, and carry me into the bedroom.
He stops at the foot of my bed, turns me in his arms, and sits me down. He drops to his knees in front of me, one hand snaking around my back just long enough to release the clasp on my bra. I lower my arms, and it falls to the floor next to Nate.
“Holy Mary,” he whispers as he slowly runs his hands down my arms, to my sides, and then back up my arms to rest on top of my shoulders.
I see his throat bob as he swallows. I can’t breathe. I’m afraid if I speak, he’ll change his mind and leave. He stares into my eyes as he runs his tongue over his lips. He slowly begins to trail his fingers down from my shoulders, tickling my collarbones, and then pausing again at the top of my breasts. He glances down, following his movements with his eyes as he traces around the outsides, leaving tingling trails where his fingers have touched.
I shudder as he finally cups my breasts, and the caress warms my skin. A deep throb pulses between my legs as he thumbs my nipples, lets out a long breath, and glances up at me with a strange, nearly pained expression.
“Are you sure?” he whispers.
“Very sure.”
He leans forward, and his warm tongue lathes over first one nipple and then the other. He sucks one into his mouth, and I moan loudly as I dig my fingers into his hair. His warm breath on my skin causes another shudder as he nestles his nose between my breasts and looks up at me again.
“You’re amazing,” he says quietly. “I’ve wanted this for so long.”
“Why wait?” I ask. “I want you.”
“I…I don’t know any more. I know I’m not waiting another second though.”
True to his word, I am suddenly on my back, Nate hovering over me. I feel the button of my jeans release, and then Nate’s hands grip the edges, pulling them slowly down over my legs as he backs away, discarding my jeans and staring down at my rather plain bikini panties.
If I had known, I would have put on something lacy.
He licks his lips again, glances at me, and then slowly pulls them off. He holds them in his hand while he kicks off his shoes, then slowly brings my panties to his face, his eyes darkening as he inhales.
“You smell delicious.”
My mouth drops open, but I can’t respond. I don’t know how to reply to a comment like that. It’s so…dirty. The throbbing between my legs increases as that mischievous smile returns. He tosses my panties into the pile of clothing on my bedroom floor. I can see his chest rising and falling rapidly as he reaches down, unbuttons his own jeans, and lowers them.
I have only been with one other man. I’m honestly not sure what an “average” penis looks like, but I don’t think Nate’s is average. It looks positively huge, and I realize he’s not circumcised. Does that make it look bigger?
“Still sure?” he asks gruffly.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“It’s…been a while,” he
says. “And you look so fucking beautiful lying there. I’m not sure how long I’ll last.”
I reach for him, not really concerned about the amount of time, because I’m throbbing and about to come just staring at his naked body. I run my hand over his smooth chest, finding the trail of hair just below his navel and following it down. I run my hand over his length, amazed at how soft the skin is over his rigid flesh. The foreskin moves slightly, exposing the tip, and I gasp.
He is bigger than average. He has to be. It’s not just the extra skin at the tip; my hand can barely reach around his girth. I lick my lips, wondering what it might be like to take that thing in my mouth. Would I even be able to? I’m not sure.
“Don’t look at him like he’s ice cream on a hot summer day,” Nate says with a chuckle, “or I’ll come all over your hand.”
“I…I wasn’t—”
“Yeah,” Nate interrupts as he caresses my nipples again, “you were.”
He reaches down, covering my hand with his. I follow his guidance, stroking him up and down slowly as he moves on top of me, pushing my legs apart with his knee. He leans over me, his lips against my neck.
“I want to be inside of you, Cherry,” he whispers in my ear. “I need it.”
He pulls my hand away from his shaft and presses his length between my legs. I moan again, arching my back to increase the pressure. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, holding his head to my throat. His hair smells amazing, like the fresh green buds on the trees in the forest and some other dark, musky scent that’s purely Nataniele. His thumb rubs over my nipple, and he cups my breast briefly before his hand moves lower. I feel his fingers slip between my legs, slowly rolling around my clit as I moan and press up against him.
“Jesus, Cherry…you’re so wet.”
“I want you,” I say simply.
“You’ve got me, babe. I’m yours.”
I feel the head of his cock maneuvering to my opening. I feel the pressure as he starts to push his hips forward, and my body tenses.
“You all right?” he whispers against my neck.
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine. Don’t stop, please!”
“Jesus.” His hot breath coats my neck. He tilts his head, looking down between us, and then I feel the pressure—harder this time.
My breath catches in my throat as he slides into me, and I let out a long groan. I tense slightly, realizing we haven’t discussed such things as birth control, condoms, or anything along those lines. In the back of my head, I know I should tell him to stop, to pull out, to get some protection first, but I can’t bring myself to say it. I don’t want him to pause, pull out, or bother with precautions. It feels too damn good to even consider such a thing.
He’s completely inside of me. I can feel his balls bumping my ass, and my thighs quiver. It feels amazing as Nate just holds himself there, his dick throbbing inside of me, and his head resting on my shoulder. His panting breaths slow slightly, and he begins to move.
Slowly. So, so slowly.
He pulls out almost completely, then slides forward again. I feel myself stretching to accommodate his length and girth as he bottoms out again…and again. So slowly.
I want more. He’s going so slow, and all I can do is groan beneath him, wrap my legs around his hips, my arms around his shoulders, and beg.
“Please, Nate!”
“Please what?” he whispers near my ear. I feel his lips and tongue tracing my earlobe.
“More! Please!”
“You are a greedy thing, aren’t you?” He shoves into me—hard—and I cry out. “Is that what you want?”
“Yes!”
“More of that?” He pulls out almost entirely, then drives into me again.
“Yes! Yes! Oh, God!”
He slides his hands under my arms and around my shoulders, increasing his leverage before he slams into me over and over again. I can barely keep my grip on his shoulders. As hard and fast as the motion is, it seems as if it should feel violent, but it doesn’t. Our bodies move in a perfect frenzy, and it’s positively incredible.
The rush starts with that warm tingle deep in my core, then spreads down my thighs and up into my stomach, my breasts, my arms, my very being. My muscles flex involuntarily, and my grip around his shoulders and hips increases in intensity as my mouth opens, my eyes close, and a nearly inhuman cry forms on my lips.
My grip around his hips falters, and my legs drop to the bed, but he doesn’t slow down. If anything, his pace increases. His hot breath coats my skin as I try to hang onto his arms as my body wants to just slump into a heap of post-coital bliss.
Soon after, as my arms begin to ache with the strain of holding on, Nate stiffens. He lets out a low groan that vaguely resembles my name, and I feel his come inside of me, coating me with warm fluids. He holds himself there, pressed hard against my body, his fingers tightly gripping my shoulders.
A brief moment of panic sets in as I try to remember how long it’s been since my last period. Three weeks? Was that long enough?
Too late now.
I swallow hard but don’t say anything. I also don’t let go, and Nate doesn’t pull out. Instead, he collapses on top of me, still breathing hard. I hug him tighter and feel his lips press against my throat before he pushes himself up onto his elbows and looks down at me.
I can’t understand his expression. His eyes are intense, but he also looks confused. He licks his lips, opens his mouth as if to say something, but then closes it again. His neck bobs as he swallows.
I slide my hand from his shoulder to the side of his face, unsure of what to say. For a long moment, we just look at each other, and then Nate finally smiles.
“I have no words, I guess,” he says, grinning.
“I don’t seem to have any either.” I smile back at him, and he presses his lips to mine.
I feel him slip out of me, and he grimaces slightly. With a long sigh, he shifts his body so he’s mostly lying next to me though his leg and arm are still wrapped around my body. I turn to look at him, my hand moving to his hip.
He caresses me from shoulder to hip to thigh and then back again, watching the movements of his hand as he does.
“This is a really nice quilt,” he finally says, and I can’t help but snicker a little.
“My neighbor made it.”
“The one across the hall?”
“Yes. Jessie.”
“I hope I didn’t stain it.” He winks, clearly not concerned about the fact that we hadn’t used protection. Then again, he could be assuming I’m on the pill, which I’m not, and I wonder if I should say something.
Before I can consider a response, I hear Nate’s phone ding from the other room.
“Ugh,” he mutters and grits his teeth. “I should probably go check that.”
“It’s okay,” I say. A sticky, uncomfortable feeling manifests itself between my legs. “I have to go to the bathroom anyway.”
He rolls off of me, and I wrap the sheet around me before running off to the bathroom. I can hear Nate cursing from the other room as I clean myself up and try not to think about when my next period should start.
“I’m sorry,” he says when I return. “I have to go.”
“Business?”
“Apparently.” He’s still gritting his teeth.
“At this time of night?”
“Nothing to worry about.” Nate takes my chin in his hand and kisses me quickly. He grabs up his boxers and jeans from the floor and then heads to the living room for his shirt. I ditch the sheet and grab my robe from the closet.
“I’m so sorry, Cherice,” Nate says, kissing me again. “I wish…I really want to stay with you.”
“You could come back,” I suggest.
“I don’t know how long this will take.” His eyes darken. “I don’t want to make you a promise I can’t keep. I will call you in the morning though, okay?”
“Okay.” My throat tightens up a bit.
I’ll call you in the morning. What a cliché phrase. I
swallow hard, trying not to read anything into it as I watch Nate rush down the steps and out of the building.
*****
He doesn’t call in the morning.
I try to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach as I pace around the apartment. I’m not even sure what has me so tense—his lack of a phone call or the fact that we had unprotected sex. I don’t think I have to worry about pregnancy. The timing doesn’t match up, but I know there is always a possibility.
“Nothing I can do about that now,” I mutter to myself.
I water Vee, take out the garbage, and scrub the bathroom. I do a load of laundry, clean out my refrigerator, and make a shopping list. Still nothing.
I jump when I hear a knock at my door and rush over to it. However, instead of Nate, I’m looking at Jessie’s eyes.
“I saw you at the festival yesterday!” Jessie swoops in with a large mason jar. “I was in the wagon behind you, and I just couldn’t manage to catch up, but I did see you there with that handsome Mr. Orso! I brought you some soup. It’s supposed to be cold tomorrow, and this should keep you nice and warm! It’s my own version of minestrone. I wouldn’t share it with your man, though. He’s a proper Italian and probably wouldn’t appreciate my changes. I see you threw caution to the wind, didn’t you, hunny?”
“What?”
“You’re seeing him,” Jessie says, very matter-of-factly. “When I first saw him here, I admit I was a little concerned. Then again, maybe it is for the best. I mean, as long as it’s all okay with you, who am I to judge?”
“As long as what’s okay?” I shake my head, not understanding what she means at all. “What were you concerned about?”
Jessie mashes her lips together, uncharacteristically silent as she fiddles with the lid on the jar.
“Jessie?”
“I don’t like to gossip.” She holds the jar up, examining it carefully. “I think you better keep this in the fridge. I don’t think it sealed right for freezing.”
“Thank you very much for the soup,” I say, taking the jar from her and putting it in the refrigerator. “Now please tell me what on earth you’re talking about! Why were you concerned about me dating Nate?”