Hope Over Fear (Over #1)

by J. A. Derouen

  Her only response is a throaty chuckle. I lift her up and set her on the counter, pushing her legs apart to take up residence in my new favorite place. One by one, I release the buttons of my shirt, kissing and licking along the way.

  “Ummm, I think I like the five o’clock shadow.”

  “Oh yeah? I’ll make sure you love it soon enough, beautiful girl.”

  I open my shirt just slightly. Her nipples are still covered by my shirt, but I can see the underside of her ample breasts. Between the shirt and her panties, she’s technically completely covered, making her look so innocently erotic. I brush my thumbs over the curve of her breasts just as she pushes her fingers into my hair and tugs me toward her. Her kiss is hungry and wanting.

  I slide my tongue into her mouth with the need to possess her. I hungrily suck her bottom lip and then begin trailing down her neck. Pushing my shirt to the side, I expose her left breast. I rub my palm firmly over her heart and meet her gaze right before I take her taut nipple into my mouth. I pull gently and then rub the tip over the scruff of my cheek, smirking when I hear Sara gasp at the contact. Oh yeah, she definitely loves it.

  Before I realize what’s happening, she hops down from the counter and pushes me backward into the living room. The back of my legs hit the seat of a chair, and I fall into it with a slight nudge from Sara.

  “Come here, baby,” I tell Sara as I pull gently on her hand, wanting her to straddle me in the chair.

  She smiles coyly at me as she shakes her head and backs away from me. Her hands grab the sides of my shirt, and she slowly pulls it off, letting it fall to the floor at her feet. In nothing but white lace panties and her brown waves tumbling down her chest, she is a living, breathing work of art. My cock is throbbing, threatening to bust the zipper of my jeans.

  She walks slowly toward me and pushes my legs apart. She’s getting off on the control, and I’m more than willing to give it to her … for now. She lowers herself to her knees in between my legs. I sense a hint of insecurity in her movements, but she boldly keeps eye contact with me as she unbuttons my jeans. My brave girl.

  Sara unzips my jeans and takes my cock in her hand, gently stroking up and down. She looks up at me through her eyelashes as she tentatively licks the tip. A groan rumbles deep in my chest, and I grip the rails of the chair, grasping for sanity. Starting at the base, she runs her tongue along the underside of my cock, then takes the tip into her sweet, hot mouth and gently sucks.

  “Fuck, Sara. That’s so damn good.”

  She takes in more of me while she fists the base of my shaft, pumping in time with her mouth. I run my fingers through her hair and tilt my pelvis toward her. If I don’t stop her soon, this will be over way too quickly. The feel of her tongue running down the underside of my cock, the suction of her mouth on the tip, her hand fisting me tightly—it’s fucking perfection.

  “Come here, Sara,” I coax as I pull her up to me.

  “What? Did I do something wrong?” Her wide, innocent eyes slam right into my heart, and I can’t help but grin.

  “Baby, you did everything right, but if you keep going, this will be over before I’m ready. I want to come when I’m deep inside you, and I want you coming with me, yeah?” I run a finger down the side of her cheek and watch realization set in.

  Sara allows herself a subtle smile of satisfaction at my words of praise. I stand her up and turn her around to sit on my lap, her back facing my front. I lean her back onto my chest and gently suck her earlobe as I grab her knees and pull her legs apart. Her breath is coming in short gasps as my fingers lightly trail up her thighs. Circling her clit with my thumb, I slide one finger inside her pussy, and she gasps in pleasure. She’s so wet, so responsive, so ready for me to take her. Her head falls back onto my shoulder, and she whispers hungrily into my ear.

  “Please, Adam. I can’t wait much longer. I need you. Please.”

  Leaning her forward to give me enough room, I grab a condom out of my pocket and hurriedly roll it on. Lifting her off my lap, I slide slowly inside her, giving her time to adjust to the fullness of this new position. To my surprise, she pushes down onto me with one hard thrust, burying me deep inside. I can’t stifle the growl that rips through me as she starts moving at a punishing pace.

  Her head is tilted back as she bounces up and down, her soft waves sweeping the arch of her lower back. I run my hand up her spine to the base of her neck, and then wrap my hand around her hair and give a firm tug. I turn her head toward me and devour her mouth.

  “Sara, I want to go deeper. Can you take more?” I ask as I playfully bite her shoulder.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  As I tilt my pelvis to change the angle of my thrusts, she lets out a whimper and reaches up and grabs her tits. As she pinches those taut nipples, I clutch her hips and drive into her hard and deep. I feel my orgasm building, and I know it won’t be much longer before I explode. Judging by the way Sara’s soft cries are slowly building in frequency, I’d say she’s close, too. I reach around and take one of her hands from her nipple and guide it down to her clit.

  “Come on, baby, show me how you touch yourself.”

  I wait for her to shy away from my request, to be embarrassed. But, again, Sara shows no fear. She pushes my hand away and gives me what I want.

  “Adam, I can’t take much more. I’m about to—”

  “Let go, Sara. Give in to me.”

  She cries out as her walls start to contract and tighten, milking the release from me. I immediately follow her in a crushing explosion, the ecstasy almost more than I can bear.

  Turning her toward me, I cradle her in my lap and gently swipe the hair from her face. “Wow, that was—”

  “Yeah, I know.” She chuckles, still attempting to catch her breath.

  And when I look into those sweet brown eyes, it hits me. I’m in serious trouble. Moments ago, I ravished this gorgeous woman and came harder than I ever have before.

  And I’m ready to do it all over again.

  “Everlong” by Foo Fighters

  THREE MILES INTO my run, I’m soaking up the sun and jamming out to the Foo Fighters, feeling invincible. My mood is such that it feels more like floating than jogging. Ending a dry spell that lasted over a year tends to make a girl a bit more agreeable. Ending a dry spell with a sex god like Adam tends to make a girl downright giddy.

  After our morning “session,” Adam stayed true to his word and drug me back to bed. We curled up under the safety of the covers with our coffee and just enjoyed each other’s company. After the heavy conversation of last night, it felt nice to keep things sweet and simple. He regaled me with tales of fatherhood (poop catastrophes and foul mouthed toddlers), and I shared some hall of fame nursing stories (births in the parking lot and baby daddy dramas). It felt right spending the morning with him—like something I’d like to do every Sunday morning.

  Adam’s parents were bringing Lily and Gage home early this afternoon, so he left me right before lunchtime. As he sat on the edge of the bed buttoning his shirt, he shot me a sexy smirk.

  “I know that us seeing each other could get tricky and complicated with Lily and Gage. You deserve dinners, movies, romantic evenings in, the whole shebang, ya know? I wish I could give that to you, and I plan on trying my damndest, but it may look a little different than what you’re used to. I may not be sure what this thing between us will look like, but there is one thing I’m positive about. I have no interest in sharing you with anyone else. I want to see where this goes, and I want to do that with just the two of us. What do think about that?”

  I crawled behind him and wrapped one arm around his neck and the other across his stomach. I trailed open mouth kisses up his neck and landed right below his ear and whispered, “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have no intention of sharing you either.”

  My breath rushed out of my body as Adam turned and pushed me to the head of the bed and settled between my legs. His eyes raked over my body hungrily, and his lips devoured mine. Our
kiss was possessive and claiming, each of us unable to get enough of the other. His shirt didn’t stay buttoned for very long.

  Lost in a thoughtful bliss, I don’t hear the truck slowly idling behind me until the driver taps the horn, nearly giving me a heart attack. Gripping my heart and searching unsuccessfully for my breath, I turn and see a huge orange monstrosity from decades past. I squint to see past the windshield when I hear a familiar voice.

  “Girl, you were lost in la-la land. I guess that means my boy did right by you last night, huh?”

  I walk around to the driver side window with a scowl fixed to my face. “Cain, you scared the shit out of me! And what the hell is this ginormous hunk of metal?”

  Cain looks like the quintessential country boy in his pickup wearing a western-style button-down shirt with pearl snaps and the sleeves hanging loose. I can’t see the rest of his body, but I imagine he’s wearing some worn blue jeans, snug in all the right places, and a pair of dusty cowboy boots. All he needs is a cowboy hat and a piece of straw hanging out of his mouth. No doubt, this guy has broken his fair share of hearts.

  “Don’t you make fun of Big Orange, Sara. This is a 1975 Ford pickup. As if that wasn’t already the shit, this baby has a Corvette engine under the hood. Do you believe that?”

  Cain revs the engine a few times and raises his eyebrows, willing me to be impressed. Ignoring him and his asinine truck, I pet the sweet puppy that is bouncing up and down on Cain’s lap begging for some attention.

  “And who is this sweet little guy? You are just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

  “This is Mr. Biscuit. Say hi, Mr. Biscuit.” At Cain’s request, Mr. Biscuit lets out a loud bark.

  I giggle at his response and continue to rub behind his ears. “I’ve got to say, Cain, I didn’t figure you for a Jack Russell Terrier kind of guy. You seem more like a German Shepard, Bull Mastiff, St. Bernard type of dog owner.”

  “Mr. Biscuit runs circles around all those big dogs. And he’s scrappy; I like scrappy dogs. I don’t need a big dog to prove my manhood.” Cain gives me a suggestive wink.

  “Right, because Big Orange makes the manhood statement for you, right?”

  “Keep it up, girl. You don’t want to dance with me. I tease relentlessly, and I take no prisoners. Just ask Cece.”

  “Cece?”

  “My girl Celia. Quit changin’ the subject. I want to hear about the big date. How were the bluffs? Did Adam help you work out the kinks? And you know what I mean …”

  “The bluffs were beautiful, Cain. As for the kinks, I’m not touching that one. I’ll just say that I had a wonderful time. How’s that?”

  “That’s not the agreement, girl. I’m supposed to get the dirty details. If I don’t get to help you figure out your kink, I should at least get to hear about it. Am I right, or am I right?”

  “Okay Cain, I would love to tell you, in great detail, all about Adam’s—”

  Cain quickly interrupted me by pressing his index finger to my lips. “Stop right there. I don’t want to hear one word about Adam’s junk. You’re fucking up my fantasy. Maybe I don’t want you to share after all.”

  I shake my head and chuckle softly. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Anyway, let me get back to my run.”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you soon, Sara. I’m on my way to Cece’s to measure for new kitchen cabinets.” Cain flashes me a huge smile.

  “Wow, that’s really thoughtful of you.”

  “Well, since I’m her landlord, there’s something in it for me, too. Increasing property value, and all that happy horse shit. Say bye, Mr. Biscuit.” And with that, Mr. Biscuit shoots me a bark, Cain tosses back a parting wave, and I take off to finish my run.

  As I round the corner onto my street, I notice I have visitors on my porch. It seems Alex and Marlo have made themselves at home on my porch swing. If I’m being honest, I’m surprised I made it out the door for a run without Marlo catching me. My girls are about to make the Spanish Inquisition look like a cakewalk.

  “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Laverne and Shirley. To what do I owe this pleasure?” I chuckle softly as I stretch my calves and hamstrings. I know what they want, but what’s the harm in teasing them a bit?

  “Pleasure, huh? That’s exactly what we’re here to discuss, Sara. I imagine last night was pleasurable for you since I didn’t see Adam’s truck leaving until late this morning. I fully expect for you to dish on every pleasurable detail,” Marlo demands, crossing her arms over her chest and raising one eyebrow with a stern look on her face.

  “Well, actually, I’m just here to see if you had a good time. I mean, I won’t scoff at a little play-by-play of the high points of the date, but I have no intention of beating it out of you like Marlo here.” Alex giggles and pokes Marlo good-naturedly in the arm, setting her off balance. Marlo pouts at Alex and pulls her up from the swing and toward the front door.

  “Oh hush, Alex, you always take her side!”

  Marlo and Alex follow me through the front door and take their posts on my couch. Although I feign irritation at their intrusion, I secretly love that they care enough to check on me. Lord knows they’ve listened to their fair share of my self-doubt and guilt over the past year. They deserve to hear about the good times, too.

  “It’s so funny that y’all are asking me about my date. I just ran into Cain on my run, and he was asking the same thing. It seems like Adam and I are on everyone’s minds this morning.”

  Alex perked up and threw her hands in the air. “Oh, I saw Cain yesterday at the golf course. We ended up playing the back nine together. He’s a trip!”

  “Really? I didn’t know he played golf. You might have another partner to add to your list, huh?” I’m glad that Alex and Cain have found some common ground. She’s always looking for a partner, and the more she has, the less of a chance that she’ll ask me. How anyone can hit the damn ball is beyond me. Who knows, maybe Alex and Cain may really hit it off. Stranger things have happened.

  “Yeah, I think so. We exchanged numbers, so we’ll see.”

  “Enough of the idle chit chat, you two. I want the deets! Now!” Marlo crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at me.

  So I tell them. I tell them about the bluffs, the picnic, and the beautiful sunset. I tell them about The Courtyard, Voodoo Fire, and Adam’s guitar playing and singing skills. I tell them about the tattoo that Adam drew on my arm and the beautiful meaning behind it. When I finish, I look closely at both of my friends. Alex has a sweet, dreamy look on her face. Marlo is wearing an impatient scowl as she rolls her hands at me.

  “And … don’t think you’re stopping there, girl. It was just gettin’ good!”

  “Marlo, you are such a pervert!” I shake my head and laugh at my persistent friend. “I’m not giving you a blow-by-blow. But I will say that it was the most amazing night I’ve ever had. When he kisses me, I feel it right down to my toes. When he looks at me, I feel confident, beautiful, and completely uninhibited. And when he touches me, holy hell, when he touches me, my whole body is on fire. I didn’t know that it could be like that.”

  “Oh, Sara, I’m so happy to hear it. First kisses and butterflies … nothing in the world can compare to that feeling. So I’m guessing Adam has his ‘knocking’ technique down, huh?” Alex prompts much more subtly than Marlo.

  “Alex, that boy has the passcode to my alarm system, okay. He knows the secret knock, the secret handshake, and he knows where I hide the extra key. I’m fairly certain he found a secret passageway that I didn’t even know was there.”

  By the end of my diatribe, Marlo and Alex are doubled over in fits of laughter. I just shrug my shoulders at them because I’m not really joking. Sure, it’s a silly metaphor, but the meaning behind it is spot on.

  “Well, I guess it goes without saying that our girl had an orgasm, don’t ya think, Alex?” Marlo gives us a toothy grin.

  “Oh yeah!”

  “Look, I don’t even know if you can call those orgasms. It was anothe
r level of pleasure I have never experienced before. I’m trying to think of the best way to explain what I mean.” I look to the ceiling and rack my brain to find the perfect words. “Okay, so orgasms I’ve had in the past were good. They were satisfying, sort of like a sneeze—a build up to a quick release. What happened last night and this morning were mind-blowing explosions with equally mind-blowing aftershocks.”

  “Wait. Just wait. I have to interrupt you here because I’m in complete shock right now.” Marlo’s eyes widen as she leans forward, closer to me. “A sneeze? A fucking sneeze? Are you joking me right now? Mason gave you orgasms that you equate to a fucking sneeze? We won’t even talk about the Two-Pump Chump, because I’m fairly certain you didn’t even get a sneeze from that douchenozzle—maybe an awkward throat clearing, if you were lucky. I just … I don’t know how to respond to that. It makes me want to go kick Mason in his obviously useless dick!”

  “Hold on, hold on, let’s not start bashing Mason. I don’t think that’s what this is about,” Alex says as she pats Marlo’s knee, always the peacemaker of the group.

  “Aw, hell no! Don’t take up for him, Alex. My girl deserves better than a fucking sneeze!”

  “Wait, let me explain! I don’t think Mason was the problem, okay?” I hear a loud snort of disbelief from Marlo, but I continue, “I just don’t think the chemistry between Mason and me was right. We were best friends, and that did not translate to sex in our case. God knows, we both tried, but it just wasn’t there. With Adam, I didn’t have to work on being attracted to him. It happened instantly, and it was as innate as breathing. Who knows where this thing will lead, but I’m excited to find out. And I think you guys would agree, I haven’t been excited about anything in a helluva long time.”

  “Well, we’re happy to hear it, aren’t we, Marlo?” Alex nudges Marlo and gets a reluctant nod in return. “So did y’all talk through some things? Like where this may be headed, or ooh, what about the kids’ mom? Is she in the picture? Are they divorced?”

  “We’re not sure where things will go, but we’ve decided to not date other people while we figure it out.” I see Alex and Marlo grinning and giddy with excitement, and it warms my heart that they are so happy for me. “As far as Lily and Gage’s mom goes, she is not in the picture. She’s not around and won’t be coming around.”