by Lauren Runow
His tongue darts out of his mouth and skims his lower lip, like he’s a starving man. A chill runs up my body, and it’s not from the crisp autumn air.
“Aren’t you going to join me?” he asks.
I walk to the tub and climb in. It’s a large square with plenty of places to sit, so I take a seat on the other side of him, stretching out my toes to the seat beside him.
He pouts. “Do you always have to make things so hard on me?”
“I don’t know. Do I?” My question is asked with every sexual innuendo in mind.
He gets the joke and laughs out loud.
I lean my head back as the jets push against my back, relieving the tension I didn’t even know I was holding.
He wraps his hand around my foot and pulls it onto his leg, massaging the pad.
“A girl could get used to this,” I sigh and close my eyes. With my hands floating on the water, I let the bubbles pop under my palms as I take in the peaceful feeling surrounding me. Nothing but the crickets in the background and the hum of the jets fill the air.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks.
“How peaceful this is,” I respond without having to think.
“Yeah, I’ve always liked it out here.”
“I meant, with you.”
My admission has me popping my eyes open. It’s my truth, yet saying it out loud makes me feel awkward and vulnerable.
I sit up a little, but he squeezes my foot, relaxing me.
“I’m happy when I’m with you too, Lace.”
My face heats as I look at him. His hair is wet, slicked back with his fingers. His skin is glistening in the soft glow of the lights. He comes off as ethereal. A beautiful man massaging your feet in a hot tub is something women dream about. If I stare at him too long, I’ll never want to wake up.
Leaning my head back, I stare up at the sky. It’s a pitch-black night with every star illuminated.
“Wow,” I breathe. “You don’t get this in Chicago.”
“The queen is out tonight,” he says, making my eyes gaze over to him. “Cassiopeia. You can see it easily. Just find the Big Dipper—”
“I have no idea where that is.”
Jake’s jaw falls. “Baby, we have to get you a tutorial on the stars. Come here.”
He motions with his finger for me to join him on his side of the tub. I swim-walk over, taking a seat beside him, and he swings an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in.
We lean back, and he takes my hand, lifting it up to the sky and using it as a pointer. “The Big Dipper rotates around the North Star. At any time of the year, you can use the Big Dipper to find Cassiopeia. They’re like riders on opposite sides of a Ferris wheel.”
“How so?”
“They’re part of the spinning wheel of stars that move around the North Star. Cassiopeia rises up while the Big Dipper plunges down.” He moves my hand to the place where the star formations are in the sky. “That W-shape is Cassiopeia.”
“You know, there is something inherently romantic in the stars. I bet this queen was so beloved by her people to have been placed there.”
“Um, no. Long story short, she was incredibly vain. Went to the seashore and told Poseidon, god of the sea, that she was more beautiful than his wife and all his daughters. Pissed him off. Then, she went to Hera, queen of the gods, and said the same thing to her. Hera grabbed some rope, tied Cassiopeia in her throne, and launched her so high in the sky that she got stuck upside down. Hera pretty much shouted, ‘You think you’re beautiful? Now, you can show the whole world for all of eternity!’ And now, she does. Just upside down and tied to her chair.”
I let out an awkward laugh. “That’s horrible. I thought constellations and stories of the gods all had romantic meanings.”
“This one still does.” He taps my nose and looks back up at the sky. “Cassiopeia’s husband was so grief-stricken when he heard about what had happened to her that he asked Zeus to send him to the sky with his wife. Like a good friend, Zeus did, flinging Cepheus right next to his wife.” Jake points to the left of the W-shaped stars and says, “They’re still clinging to each other. Cepheus kinda looks like a stick house that children draw.”
“I see it!” I say way too loudly when I map out the stars he’s talking about. I turn my head slightly, so I can see him. “You’re really smart, Jake.”
“I wouldn’t say that. But when I like something, I study it well.”
“What do you like? Other than stars and flowers, of course.”
“What do I like?” He taps his chin, as if pensively thinking. “Good wine. A great book.” He winks, and I roll my eyes. “Clothes. Now, I know my dad teases me about this, but I really do appreciate a finely made shirt. Music. I follow a lot of underground artists around the city. And most importantly”—he places his finger under my chin and tilts my head, so our lips align perfectly—“I like you.”
“Does that mean you study me?”
“Daily.”
His lips are warm as they place the softest of caresses against mine. My skin prickles with gooseflesh as his mouth lowers to my jaw and sucks lightly when he moves to the tender skin on the side of my neck.
“You’re an introvert, but when you let someone into your world, you light up the darkest rooms.” He stops kissing me and looks in my eyes, as if his words shouldn’t be overlooked by his actions. “I mean that. You hide behind your computer, but when you step outside of your walls, you’re witty and entertaining. You’re bright, and I haven’t had this much fun, just talking to a woman, in a long time.” His tone is deep, and his face is serious.
My heart stills, as does my breath, at his very sweet words. It’s not just what he said. It’s how he said it. He stares into my eyes. I feel the heat of his gaze, and I know there are more words he wants to say, but he’s holding back. Not because of his own insecurities, but because of mine.
“So, you like me for my brilliant mind,” I joke pathetically.
He doesn’t flinch. “Trust me, I want you for your gorgeous ass and tits, which are so damn hot, even when they’re covered in an ugly-ass sweatshirt.”
“They’re not covered tonight. Well, not by much.”
“Is that an invitation?” His eyes grow dark as his chest rises.
“It’s a demand,” I whisper centimeters from his mouth.
He lifts me by the waist and settles me onto his lap. His lips are hard against mine as his hands glide gently up my sides.
Our tongues dance as I wrap my arms around his neck, pushing my breasts on him and grinding myself against his naked form. Without a suit on, his cock flinches up with the contact, sliding against me with the thin material of my bathing suit feeling like it’s going to burst at the seams.
He undoes the strings of my top, and it falls to the water, bouncing and floating in the bubbles. There’s a shadow casting over his face so it’s hard to tell, but there’s one thing I can see clearly. Jake is happy.
“You’re beautiful, Lace. I don’t tell you that enough, but damn, every inch of you is drop-dead gorgeous.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“I might have, but I swear to God I never meant it as much as I do when I look at you.”
His hands rise to each side of my face, caressing my cheeks and pulling me down for a kiss so passionate that I might combust right here. My breasts rub against his hot skin, and the feeling of us so close—and being so naughty—has me reeling in lust.
“Won’t someone hear us?” I ask, remembering what it was like as a teenager sneaking around.
“Not if you’re quiet.” He dares me with his words and his actions as he sucks on my nipple, making me gasp as sensations ripple through me, down to my core.
I grip his hair and pull.
“I love it when you pull my hair.” He smiles against my skin and then gives a nip. I reward him with another tug as I grind against him. “And when you rub like that over the tip of my cock, it feels like fucking heaven. Do it again.”
/> I do as he requested, listening as he moans my name like I’m a damn queen needing praise.
His hands move down to my ass, squeezing it, and then they slide to the front, pushing my bottoms to the side. I lift up a little, giving him the perfect view of my breasts to nip and suck on as he runs his finger over my clit and rolls around. I arch my back and grip his shoulders, holding on tight. When his fingers slide down my folds and enter me, I steady myself as pure lust starts to take over.
As I roll my hips against his hand, virtually riding him, he tells me how wonderful I am, how he loves when I move my body like this, and how amazing I look against the stars in the sky. His words are like a waterfall, and I want to bathe in them as I chase my orgasm. His thumb rubs those vicious circles, and his fingers pump inside of me, eliciting heavy breaths and moans from me that need to be quieted by his kisses.
I’ve gone years without sex with a man, and now, I feel like a fiend, needing it so badly that I can’t breathe.
“Jake.” I close my eyes from every nerve on my body lighting on fire. I ride out my orgasm until he removes his hand and wraps it around my head, kissing me hard. “I need you inside of me.”
He closes his eyes and mumbles under his breath, “Fuck.”
“What?” I ask, grinding myself against him more.
“I can’t believe I wasn’t thinking about using a condom in here. Can we take this to the bedroom?”
I take a deep breath in, not wanting any of this to stop until he’s made me come and I’m floating from the high. “I’m on the pill.”
His eyes dart to mine as he runs a finger down my cheek. “Are you sure?”
I pull back to stare in his eyes. “That I’m on the pill? Yes, I’m positive,” I joke, but I see the look in his eyes. He’s asking about more than the physical pill. He needs to know if I’m okay with this. “You don’t make a habit of this kind of thing though, right?”
He grins and leans up to kiss my lips once more. “You’ll be my first.”
My heart swells as I pull him in, kissing him harder, chasing the sensation we nearly lost.
As his hand moves to position himself at my entrance, I lift slightly before I slide down on his hardened shaft, feeling the fullness take over me. We both gasp at the intensity of the situation.
Holding each other tightly, we allow what we’re doing to sink in, enjoying every minute, before I slide up and start to pulse.
The water moves around us as he grips my ass, guiding my movements and helping to lift me up. Feeling him fill me to the brim makes my head fall down to his shoulder.
“Oh God,” I whisper into his ear as he slams into me once more.
He pulls back, so he can see my face, wanting to catch every word, every gasp that escapes from me as he moves my body with his, bringing me to heights I didn’t know were possible.
Heights I’ve only ever written about.
Words fill my brain of how I would write this moment but nothing’s fitting exactly what I’m feeling. Right here. How I would put to paper what he’s doing to me and how my body’s reacting. And that’s when it hits me.
There are no words.
I could string together every adjective of how to explain the way his cock slides in and out of me, but none would let the world know just how amazing it actually is.
I’m going to try though. I’m going to try to shout it from the rooftops, letting my readers know that sex has been nothing until now. Until Jake. He’s my muse, and I’m living the fantasy of being my own heroine.
He picks up his pace, and I have to bite my lip, gripping on to him for dear life so I don’t scream out my release as I clench against him, letting the orgasm ripple through me while the water around us splashes.
His lips find mine again as his own release comes inside me. Listening to his gasps and gulps for air only makes the entire moment more special.
Knowing I’m doing to him the exact thing he’s doing to me solidifies it.
For the first time in years, my life is better than fiction.
Chapter Eighteen
“Zip-lining?”
“No.”
“Paddleboarding?”
“Do I look like a guy who paddleboards?”
“Well, what do you have planned for today? I have twenty thousand words to write, so if you’re keeping me off my laptop, it’d better be for a good reason.” Like an insolent teenager, I’m standing with my hands on my hips, tapping my foot and waiting for him to tell me what the day’s itinerary is.
Instead of stating it, he takes a seat in the chair near the window of his bedroom and puts his feet up on the window ledge as he grins. “Changed my mind. Surprise me.”
My foot stops tapping. “Surprise you?”
“Yes. I’d love for you to plan the day for us.”
Despite the cocky grin on his face, I know he’s dead serious. His eyes twinkle, like he’s daring me to take him up on this offer. Good thing I never let a man have power over me, so a dare is something I’ll gladly take.
I grab my phone and fall onto the bed.
“Does this mean you give up?” he asks, sliding his feet off the windowsill.
I lift my head with a scowl. “Hell no. I’m gonna plan the best damn date in the history of dates. Now, go make yourself pretty because we have plans.”
An hour later, we’re in his car, and he’s following directions to the address I put in the navigation system. He looks handsome in his jeans, camel-colored sweater, and brown leather sneakers. The aviator glasses on his face make him the epitome of cool, so I lean over and kiss him on the jaw. Liking the affection, he places a hand on my knee.
I’m pretty impressed with my own outfit I put together today. Skinny jeans—yes, I own a pair—and calf-height boots with a long sweater that falls off my shoulder a little. I have to wear a camisole underneath, and today’s has a hint of lace. I blew my hair out and am wearing a touch more eye makeup. I’m not dressing up to please a man. I just happen to like the way his eyes light up when he sees me dolled up. It makes me feel good inside.
We reach the final destination, and Jake slides his glasses down his nose as he looks up. “You brought me to an orchard?”
“Perfect, I know. Autumn in the Midwest screams apples!”
“Actually, when I think of Wisconsin, I think of cheese.”
“And apples are a perfect pairing. Now, let’s go be super cute and pick some apples.”
We grab a bucket and head to the path that leads toward the orchards, where we can pick our own apples. The views are breathtaking as we stroll the lanes of giant trees ripe with fruit. Parents are taking Instagram-worthy photos of their kids, and couples stroll while families argue over how many apples is too many.
Jake decides that since we have one bucket, we can only fill it with the world’s best, crispiest apples. So, we make it a game. If someone sees a good one, we will stop at nothing to get it. I sit on his shoulders to reach a Red Delicious. He climbs a tree to get a Honeycrisp I’m certain is going to be juicy. I jump like a lunatic until I can reach an Empire.
We play hide-and-seek at the base of trees and then make out like teenagers behind the thick of leaves.
He takes a ton of selfies of us. My favorite is the one with his tongue in my ear while I’m making a crazy face. He likes the one where we’re just looking at the camera, happy and content. It’s actually my second favorite because he has a great smolder in that one.
There’s a corn maze near the main barn, so we run through it, hand in hand, getting wildly disoriented and having no idea how to get out. Luckily, there’s a seven-year-old who guides us to safety, and we laugh that we needed to be rescued by a child.
Inside the barn, they’re having a cider tasting. Jake grabs three gallons along with an additional three bushels of apples and two pies.
“You’re gonna eat all that?” I joke as he pushes his cart to the front to pay.
“This is all for my family back at the house. Everything, except
for the apples we picked. Those are magical apples, and they’re all ours.”
“Now, if they had some spiked cider here, that would be magical,” I joke, and the cashier points out the door.
“We have a hard-cider barn on the other side of the corn maze. You can do a tasting there.”
Jake’s teeth show with his grin. We place everything in the car and then walk into the hard-cider barn with our hands rubbing together, eager to try the good stuff.
There’s a small bar at the end of the room, and Jake moseys over with his hand out to shake the gentleman’s hand on the other side, reading the name on his shirt. “Fritz, you’re just the man we want to see. My girl and I are on our fifth first date and would like to try some of your amazing cider. The more potent, the better.” He winks, and I roll my eyes at his charm.
“Our fifth first date?”
He leans his elbow on the bar and explains, “The bar was our first date as friends. The Italian restaurant was our first date as TikTok kissers. The museum was our first date when I was trying to impress you, so we’d be more than friends. The third at Navy Pier was our first date when we,” he leans in and whispers, “fucked afterward.”
I hit him in the arm, but he doesn’t seem to care as he points to the orchard.
“And this is our first date as us.”
A slow, broad smile graces my face. “Us.”
“Us.” He kisses me and then turns back to Fritz. “Now, my man, you can’t embarrass me with my girl on our fifth first date, so please, show us your finest variety.”
Fritz seems enamored with Jake’s wit. “So, you want the high alcohol content?”
With a point and a wink, he laughs. “You got it.”
“Well, brother, let me give you the full-service treatment. I take it, neither of you has done a cider tasting before?” he asks, and we both shake our heads. “We have to get you guys the entire flight.”
Fritz puts champagne glasses on the table and fills the first two. “Unlike wine, cider is made through various techniques and comes in a huge range of flavors. We’ll start with the least interrupted ciders. This one is fermented from apples only.”