Gaining Ground

by Nikki Bolvair

  “Are you sure?” I asked worriedly.

  “Yes. Please?” His fingers traced my bare skin just above the waistband of my PJs. “I won’t do anything you don’t want. You can tell me no.”

  My heart stuttered with anticipation. “What are you going to do?”

  His fingers traced over my waistband once more. Each pass made my heart jump and my insides hum.

  “Kiss you. Touch you. Make you see stars,” Tyler whispered as he drew my pants band down a little, bending to kiss the lower juncture of my hip.

  My breath caught as my heart beat wildly, and I struggled to get out my thoughts. “What about you?”

  He softly bit the area he kissed. “Baby, you can do any of those things to me too.”

  After a little shuffling, we were both bare as the day we were born.

  I ran my hand from his chest, to his abs, and lower, until I found what I was looking for. His breath caught, and he inched back. “Not yet. You first.” Then he gave me a kiss, only to immediately pull back. “Have you ever had an orgasm?” he asked as I felt him stroke me.

  “N-no.”

  “Never touched yourself?” he queried, holding one hip, touching me. I clutched my sheets as my heart thumped erratically behind my ribs when he did that. New sensations were building up, drawing me closer to an edge that I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Tyler did something that felt good and, I let out a mew as white hot heat flashed through me.

  “Oh, Baby, this is going to be fun.” His head dipped, and I gasped. My hands tightened against my sheets once again as new sensations started to build. I couldn’t stand not touching him, so I reached up and threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him to me as his attentions became intense. It was like velvet caressing me, soft and sensual all at the same time. His hands were on my inner thighs, drawing teasing circles, while tight spikes of pleasure coursed through me.

  My body was tightening. Something was coming. Building. He nipped and sucked, and then my heart burst, like a firework shot from a cannon. I snapped as I exploded, my mouth opened in a soundless cry. My hips arched. It was beautiful. Sweet. A high I’d never expected. I had fallen over the edge that Tyler created in me, and there was no doubt that I’d let him take me there again.

  I slumped back down to the bed, and in my blissful state, I vaguely heard Tyler murmur, “Good girl,” as he kissed his way back up my body, until he was covering me once again. I was breathing hard after what I had just experienced.

  Holy shit. Was that what I had been missing?

  “Feeling good, Baby?” he asked, soothing back my hair. I still kept my eyes closed, just recovering from the whole experience. I could him against me as he leaned in, and I was tempted. So, so tempted. If that felt good, what would the real thing feel like? Would we even fit together? I ran my hands up and down his back as I thought, feeling the smooth planes of his muscles.

  I felt a kiss right at my ear as hands held my head. “Faith?” he whispered. I shivered as my eyes opened, realizing that I wanted to make him feel good, just like he did for me.

  I turned and kissed him, while whispering against his lips, “Most definitely.” Pushing against him until I was on top, I trailed my fingertips down his shoulders and across his, exploring him like he did to me. His muscles bulged as I stroked them. Taking my mouth away from Tyler's, I kissed his collarbone before I bit down. He cursed as I went further down, kissing him, learning all the spots he like and what he loved. I trailed my hand down lower, grabbing ahold of what I sought as I tentatively explored him. He was hard and smooth beneath my fingers, and hot.

  “Faith,” Tyler moaned, lifting his hips as his hands gently gripped tighter on my waist. So I did it again, pleased that I could make him feel that way. I scooted over, so my hips were cradling his left thigh, no mistakes while I explored. I wanted to please him, like he did with me. Tyler tightened his hands on my hips and moved me so I was pressed snug onto his thigh. He arched his back as I stroked him downward. He took his hand from my hip and placed it on mine, teaching me what he liked. I fell forward with the movement, but quickly gasped into his mouth as he raised his leg up further to press tighter against my center. He applied delicious pressure to my already hypersensitive center. Everything was timed just right so that we were both rising to that same precipice together.

  I felt him grow almost to steel and he froze. A deep groan left his lips. His hips lifted once more, and he came along with me.

  I panted as I sat there in a most compromising position, listening to our heavy breathing cutting through the silence. I was trying to catch up to what we just did. After a moment, I rolled over, curling into Tyler’s chest feeling peaceful, trying not to think too hard about it.

  “Where are you going?” I mumbled sleepily a few moments later when he moved away from me.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I heard some running water and minutes later I felt the bed move, but I was too weak to care. I knew there was something I was missing. “Tyler?” I questioned as his body curled into mine.

  “Shh, Baby. Don’t worry. Just go to sleep.” And I did, only slightly waking up later when lips touched mine and Tyler whispered he loved me.

  ***

  The next morning I woke up naked, and Tyler was already gone. I wasn’t disappointed. I was actually glad he was gone. I didn’t want to get caught by Brady. It would have been all over if that happened.

  I hurried and got dressed, blushing as I saw a faint mark where Tyler had bitten me on my hip. I ran my fingers over the tender spot, biting my lip as the thoughts of last night came back. My heart quickened as I remembered last night and the sensations my body went through. I definitely wanted to do that again.

  “Faith! Breakfast!”

  I hurried and finished getting dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. I smiled at Brady as I sat down, piling food onto my plate.

  “Know anything about the back door being unlocked this morning?” Brady asked as he bit into a piece of bacon.

  I paused, then slowly took a sip of my orange juice trying to cover my surprise.

  “Um, no?” I said, setting my drink down, then slipping HotShot a piece of bacon.

  “Faith.”

  Uh oh. I glanced toward Sarah, who also had her eyes on me. She gestured to Brady and I moved my gaze to his.

  “Yes?” Don’t ask. Don’t ask. Don’t as-

  “Did you go out last night?”

  My eyebrows rose. “No.” That wasn’t a lie.

  Brady didn’t look convinced. I turned to Sarah. “Didn’t you go running this morning? Maybe you unlocked it before heading out the front door?”

  Sarah smiled and turned to Brady. “It’s possible.”

  He grunted and looked between the two of us, then continued to eat. Before he left, he kissed Sarah, then whispered something in her ear.

  As his car pulled out of the drive, Sarah turned to me with a disapproving stare. “You owe me.”

  Shortly after, Tyler came and picked me up, and I could help the hot blush that rose on my cheeks as he grinned and gave me a quick kiss. “Feeling good, I hope?”

  “Shut up, Tyler.”

  He chuckled and took my hand in his.

  “I always aim to please.”

  Tyler parked at the college, and I headed to my first class. I kept an eye out for Tucker that morning, so I could give him a piece of my mind, but he eluded me. He didn’t pop up anywhere like he seemed to do before. I went to my first class with Mr. White, and he gave me instructions to come back in the afternoon so I could meet my ride to SSK and my co-workers.

  When lunch time came around, Tyler found me first, catching my hand and pulling me into a darkened hallway where a few of the light bulbs needed to be replaced.

  He pressed me against the wall for a heated kiss, dragging his hands down my sides until they met my thighs, lifting me up and encouraging me to wrap my legs around him. I threaded my fingers through his hair, then nipped his lip, like I had done
to Lincoln.

  “Ah, Faith,” Tyler breathed as his hand came back up to tangle into my hair. “I missed you.”

  His hips pressed against mine making me aware of how aroused he was, adding to my own flare of heat. He held my head as he came back for another kiss, urging me to open up to him. I opened as I arched into him, moaning as his talented tongue danced with mine.

  “I want you. I want you so bad,” he growled into my neck, making my heart pound. “Last night you were perfect. So sweet. The noises you made, the way you responded; I’m sure I came from that alone.”

  “Soon?” I asked hopefully.

  His eyes were so full of fire. “Soon.” He kissed me and stepped back to let my feet touch the ground. “Very soon. More of what we did last night. And if you want,” he leaned in to whisper in my ear, “All of us can be a part of having you.” I shivered. “Would you like that Faith? Six hands on you? I’ll even give you free rein to explore me again.”

  Wow. Even if that was what I eventually wanted, the idea was still intimidating.

  “I think that we should shelve that idea for now,” I whispered. “I’m still new to all of this, but I don’t mind what we did last night and maybe you could, um, teach me what you like?”

  “I won’t be the only one, you know. We’re planting roots with you,” he husked.

  I blushed. “Me too. And... there’s something else I need to ask.”

  “Anything.”

  We all went to the diner as usual, meeting up with Kayden and Lincoln, but instead of riding with Tyler, I asked if I could ride with Raina. That bumped Wendy and Peter into his Jeep while Raina and I were together. We were going to chat.

  “So why all the covert seat arranging for the drive to the diner?” Rania asked as I buckled myself in. I kept silent, trying to decide how to proceed.

  “Oh, no.” Raina groaned as she started her SUV and backed out of the parking spot. “Did you already give it up?! I DO NOT want any details. They’re my brothers—”

  “No! Geez, Rania.” I flamed red. “I’m...um, you know...” I told her absently gesturing with my hands wanting her to finish or, at least, get the idea of what I was trying to say.

  “Holy crows in a bucket!” she busted out. “You’re innocent!”

  I grimaced as we pulled up to a stoplight and saw Tyler’s Jeep next to us with him giving me a cheeky grin and a head nod.

  “Not entirely innocent,” I murmured, and she snorted.

  I turned back to Raina and ignored her outburst as I voiced my own question. This one was not as intimate, though.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that Roxie is a flipping car,” I muttered angrily.

  “Wait, what?” She sounded surprised. “Of course Roxie’s a car! What did you—”

  “‘He was with her last night’ to quote Tucker,” I told her. “Why can’t you all just call it what it is? A car? Why ever refer to it as a Her or even a He?”

  “Oh, sweetie,” Raina soothed. “That’s just what my brothers do. It kind of a guy thing. I just picked it up, I guess. I didn’t realize you weren't in the loop. I just assumed that you knew, since you knew the name Roxie, and about the past between Tucker and Tyler.”

  “Well, I didn’t.” I sighed, now understanding.

  “Caused a lot of problems, did it?” she asked as we pulled into the parking lot.

  “You have no idea,” I responded, getting out and feeling a little bit lighter.

  When Kayden showed up at the diner, he was his cheerful self, but Lincoln seemed to be preoccupied. He kept scowling at his phone.

  Not liking that something was bothering him, I slipped my hand under the table to give his leg a squeeze. He didn’t look up, but slid his hand over mine and laced our fingers together.

  “Hey, Daniels,” I glanced over at Kane, and he did something weird with his eye as he continued to talk, “Didn’t you need Raina to pick you up tonight?”

  “N—” I paused really looking at him. He was twitching his eyes or something; then Lincoln squeezed my hand, and I realized. Oh boy. The two of them needed a cover. Maybe it had to do with that thing he wanted me to keep secret? The thing that I didn’t know, but pretended I did. Either way, I had to follow through, right?

  I smiled brightly and turned toward Raina. “I totally forgot! Do you think you can pick me up?”

  Raina looked between Kane and me before slowly agreeing, not believing a thing. “Ah, sure.”

  I lifted my foot under the table and kicked the idiot who was keeping secrets.

  “Ow!” Peter cried out glaring at Lincoln.

  Whoops.

  “What?” Lincoln defended himself. “I didn’t do it!”

  Peter glanced at me with a tight mouth, while Kane smirked.

  “Uh, just pass it on,” I mumbled, before becoming famished and stuffed my mouth with a breadstick. Kayden chuckled. Dang boys.

  Chapter 12

  That evening I showed up in the spot that Mr. White had designated. When I got there, I found out there were two other college students that were also participating. We all kept to ourselves until Mrs. Shambles drove around to us in a white van. We all got in, and she started to explain what was going to happen.

  “Each time we meet up it will be at this spot and the same time. We will go and clock in each time and be assigned to any area that we're needed in. I strongly urge you to not go off alone with any the children. If an incident occurs to use your walkie-talkie that will be given to you as a point of contact. Incidents happen regularly, so use what you have learned in our lectures to help you and the person who is having that attack. Remember, they are all broken with their invisible, emotional backpacks. Let’s try to be professional as well as nurturing. With everything each of them have been through, heaven knows they’ll need it.” She went on to talk about each of the children we were assigned to and concluded the orientation by telling us that we’d be dropped off in the same place each evening.

  I was excited, but also apprehensive. We’d had lectures covering different subjects, from complex dynamics of brain function to the study of social cues and body languages. We had moved on to studying the impact trauma could have on people, from a basic level to more extreme circumstances. This lecture was going to be fascinating as well as hard, due to my past. I had hoped coming to SSK would help me just as much as I helped them. I just hoped that no triggers would be set off. I’d been good lately, but as I had learned in my lecture, triggers come from the primary level. It takes time, support and conditioning to overcome them. I had all that. In a way, I thought my triggers had regressed into my dreams, and I escaped them through sleepwalking.

  We drove through a set of gates, then parked in front of a large stone house. It was dark out, and Mrs. Shambles told us that we would be helping with the evening schedule. First we had to get some paperwork out of the way, however.

  The three of us followed Mrs. Shambles as we walked through the large home, awed by how massive it seemed. There were a lot of different sounds to be heard: giggling, crying, banging, thudding of feet. The house was alive with little children in every space of the home. Curious children peeked out from doorways and heads peered up from over their toys while they played. The whole place reminded me of the home in the movie, Madeline. It made me feel as if I had a purpose here. The kids here had no home just as I once didn’t. They had pasts and struggles, and I was going to be one of their Para-parents. I could make a difference here. A small, but meaningful difference. I was sure of it.

  We were taken to the dining area and seated at one of the largest wooden tables I had ever seen. We were then given forms to fill in. While filling in the forms, the older kids came out of the woodwork, finally curious enough to check out the newest of their Para-parents. It was then that I started to realize that I wasn’t that much older than some of them. I hoped we were getting younger kiddos, because I truly saw my age being a conflict with this older group.

  “Yo, Mrs. S!” a kid about fourteen called out
to our professor. Then he saw me. “Well, this one here looks like she belongs! She’s smokin’ hot and as young as me. You up for fuckin’?” he asked as he gave me a head lift and a sneer.

  What. The. Hell.

  I felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head with what the boy had said.

  “Dwight! Twenty minutes!”

  “Twenty minutes!” a younger redhead boy parroted.

  “You say sorry. Now!” she finished angrily.

  I glared. He just rolled his eyes smirked at me. “Sorry, Sex on a—”

  I was about to go off on him, but he was just a kid. Looked like he was getting his first pimples coming in. Still a baby, but with terrible social skills. I kept my mouth shut and my eyes narrowed at him.

  “DWIGHT! That’s an Hour! Go now!”

  “An hour...” The redhead repeated once again, and I smirked.

  “Shut up, Bates,” he shot off, pushing the kid.

  “Hey.” I stepped up, defending the redhead child, who now looked scared. His eyes were wide with terror as I shoved him behind me. “Leave the kid alone.” The redhead hid behind me as his hands clutched at my shirt. Dwight was going down on my shit list.

  “So help me, Dwight!” Mrs. Shambles muttered making her way over.

  “See ya.” Dwight winked, heading off the other way. That boy definitely had issues.

  I was assigned to the redhead boy named Bates, who I found out was 7, and a little toddler girl named Sonya. She was Bate’s little sister. We went to dinner together, and then I help them through their nightly routine as the other para’s did. When the night was over I decided I was not ready to have kids of my own. Not when so many of them were in need of a home.

  When we arrived back at the college, I saw Raina’s car waiting for me and hopped in.

  “So how was your first day?”

  “I was verbally assaulted,” I told her truthfully as I bucked up. “But he just has mommy issues. No joke, either.”