10 Years

by Bethany Lopez

  “What are you doing?” I whispered gruffly into Gwen’s ear.

  “If you have to ask, I must be doing something wrong,” she replied coyly, then brought her hand up to boldly caress the length of my straining cock.

  “No,” I replied, trying to make my voice sound normal. “I’d say you’re making your intentions clear.”

  I moved her hand gently off and placed it back on my thigh, taking a deep breath and trying to remain composed. I pushed aside the thoughts of bending her over the table and pounding into her with thoughts of pitching a perfect game.

  It didn’t work.

  “We’re out,” I said, standing abruptly and pulling Gwen up with me. Liam gave me a distracted nod as Aliyah nuzzled his neck, and I dragged Gwen toward the back exit. It was closest.

  “But I didn’t finish my beer,” Gwen said as we reached the door and I shoved it open.

  The door closed behind us and I turned and backed her into the wall, pressing the length of my body against hers.

  “Did you want to?” I asked, bringing my head low and running the tip of my nose along the length of her neck, pausing to nuzzle the spot below her ear.

  “No, thanks,” Gwen responded, her voice breathy, causing the need within me to surge.

  I began kissing her neck, causing her to whimper seductively, and I thought I was going to explode. Gwen didn’t make things better when she swiftly unbuttoned my jeans and thrust one of her small, soft hands inside and began stroking me, paying sweet, shiver-inducing attention to the head.

  “Gwen,” I spat out roughly, “we need to get out of here.”

  “No,” she responded with much more force than expected, then caught me by surprise when she turned us until my back was against the wall, and she was in control.

  Her hand was working me, and her lips were now at the base of my throat. I was finding it difficult to form a coherent thought, let alone speak, but I tried one more time. “Gwen, we’re in an alley.”

  She looked up and down the alley, and I followed her gaze.

  “There’s no one here but us,” she said softly, pulling my pulsing cock free of my underwear and jeans. “But it’s kind of hot that someone could find us…”

  My brain fried at her words, as if someone had just given me electro-shock therapy, and when she began to lower down, tentatively licking the head of my cock as she did, the ability to reason with her left me.

  Why the fuck am I trying to reason with her anyway? This is a fantasy come true, I thought as I looked down, nearly coming at the site of her beautiful mouth stretched and swollen as she moved it back and forth, taking in as much of my cock as she could.

  She was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, and it didn’t take long before I felt the familiar tingle and pull of my impending release.

  “I’m gonna come, Gwen,” I managed, giving her enough time to release me if she wished.

  Her mouth popped free, but before I could miss the warmth of her, she brought her hand to the base of my dick and began pumping, helping to drive my release. I watched her small hand stroking me and lost all control, rocking into her as the orgasm slammed through me.

  When the tremors subsided, I pulled her to me and kissed her with all of the passion, love, and sincerity I could muster.

  “That was so fucking hot, thank you,” I said between kisses, and I loved the way she beamed up at me, happy that she’d brought me pleasure. Now it was time for me to return the favor.

  I ducked my head low and slowly drew the tip of my tongue along her jawline, then down her throat, before lowering my voice and promising, “Now, let’s get you home so I can finally get the taste of you on my tongue. I plan to lick you until you’re screaming for mercy.”

  Gwen held on as her knees buckled at my words, and I knew that my girl got off on the dirty talk, so I vowed to give her as much as she could handle.

  Chapter Twenty-Five ~ Gwen

  Present Day (20 years old)

  I slithered quietly out of bed, turning my head to take in Craig’s face, peaceful in slumber, before allowing my body to drop to the floor. I then crawled on my hands and knees, gathering my things as I went, before standing and rushing out the door as fast as I could.

  It wasn’t that I was trying to sneak out or anything … Okay, maybe I was, but not for a bad reason. Craig was just a pretty light sleeper, and I was dying to get out at the break of dawn. Just me and my camera.

  Craig and I had been spending every possible minute together, which was awesome, but I missed my alone time. Being outside in the fresh morning light, walking around as I listened to the area around me come alive, and capturing as many magical moments as I could. I was my most creative when others were still nestled in their bed, and I loved the solitude of that.

  So, when I’d woken up to see the first light of day starting to shine through the window, I’d needed to grab my camera and get out there. Alone. Hence, the sneaking.

  I was sure I’d be back and in bed again before Craig even noticed I was gone.

  I grabbed his jacket as I was walking out the door, it tended to be pretty chilly in the morning, and shut the door quietly behind me before running down the stairs.

  Liam was at my place with Aliyah. We’d been pretty much rotating time at each apartment, occasionally enjoying a meal together, all four of us, when our schedules allowed. I was almost as happy for the two of them as I was for myself and Craig. It was cool to see Aliyah so happy.

  I turned the corner and headed toward the park. There was a nice grouping of trees with a stream running through it, which often got a lot of activity in the morning. I crossed the street and entered the grass of the park, the leaves crunching under my sneakers as I pulled out my camera and began to adjust the lens and make sure that everything was set up correctly.

  As I neared the stream, I surveyed the area before me, scoping out the spot where I’d begin. Since the birds were chirping away, I decided to start with them, and see what other animals I could find.

  I followed the birds through the trees, snapping shots while keeping my eyes tuned to the ground, when I saw a small rabbit hopping in the distance, so I quietly made my way toward it, my camera clicking as I walked. When it went under some brush, I got on my belly and positioned myself at the entrance, hoping to capture its exit.

  After a few moments of laying completely still, my camera ready as I controlled my breathing, I was rewarded when the rabbit’s nose emerged, sniffing curiously. Then, not just one, but five rabbits came bounding out of the brush, moving right past me toward the stream.

  I clicked furiously as they passed, turning on my side, and finally to my back, as I followed their movements.

  I lowered the camera and watched as they hopped farther away, then laid my head on the ground and smiled giddily up at the sky. After a few moments the euphoria subsided, and I began to realize that I was getting wetter and colder with each passing minute from the fresh morning dew.

  I stood up, shaking slightly as the fact that I was cold finally began to penetrate.

  I hurried back to Craig’s house, moving much faster on the way back than I had on the way to the park. My lower lip was trembling as I ran back up the stairs. I swung the door open, then shut it quickly behind me as I began to get the offending wet clothes off of my body immediately.

  I shucked off my pants, which left me clad only in my still-dry panties, since I’d never bothered to put on a bra before leaving. I heard a throat clear and looked up to see a gorgeously disheveled Craig leaning against the wall, his sleepy eyes taking in the length of me.

  “You outside?” he asked, causing me to smile, even in my half-frozen state. He’d obviously just rolled out of bed. He couldn’t even form a coherent sentence yet.

  “Yeah, I went out to take some shots,” I replied, stepping out of the jeans and moving toward him. “I need to get into the shower right away … freezing.”

  I brushed my lips against his as I moved passed him and into the bathroom. I turn
ed the shower on full blast, waited a couple beats, then stuck my hand under the stream to make sure it was ready. Satisfied that I wouldn’t be frozen any further, I pushed back the curtain and stepped in, then stood there, immobile, as I let the deliciously warm water cascade down my skin.

  Pure bliss.

  I finally pulled myself out of the shower, wrapped a towel around my chest, and went out to see if Craig had went back to bed, or stayed up. As soon as I opened the door, the smell of bacon hit my senses, causing my stomach to growl.

  “Hungry?” Craig said with a chuckle. The bathroom door was right off the entry to his galley kitchen, so there wasn’t a lot of privacy.

  “Starved,” I replied, then walked over to see him pulling the bacon off the pan and flipping pancakes. “I’ll get dressed and be right out.”

  “It’ll be ready,” he responded.

  He was so damn sweet that I couldn’t just walk away, so I pressed my lips to his bare back and said, “You’re too good to me.”

  “Impossible,” he replied, causing my lips to curve against his skin, then I turned to go and get my clothes on, so I could hurry back and fill my empty stomach.

  As I walked down the hall, one hand securing my towel, I used the other to pinch myself.

  Yup, I was awake.

  Chapter Twenty-Six ~ Craig

  Present Day (20 years old)

  I bent over, my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.

  Shit, Coach seems hell bent on killing us, I thought, and the season hasn’t even started yet.

  “You okay, man?” Liam asked from the ground next to me. He was laid out on his back, his arm thrown over his eyes, his own chest heaving.

  “Come on, ladies,” our coach called from his sedentary position on the bleachers. “You know you have to keep moving … You don’t want to get sick.”

  I grunted, although whether it was in response to the coach or Liam, I wasn’t quite sure.

  Once I was able to breath normally again, I held a hand out to help my friend up.

  “Just imagine what he’s going to be like in the fall,” I mumbled to Liam, hoping the coach didn’t hear me with his super-sonic hearing.

  “We’ll be dead,” Liam replied under his breath.

  “Running five miles too much for the all-stars?” Coach yelled out, proving there was nothing you could say within a mile radius that he wouldn’t hear.

  “No, sir,” Liam and I responded simultaneously, making our way toward the locker room as the other poor bastards on our team started to cross the finish line.

  I stuffed my sweaty clothes in my gym bag and headed for the shower. I’d been in enough locker rooms that taking a shower with my team was the same as taking one alone at home. I was totally comfortable and didn’t give a thought to walking through the room to the shower butt-ass naked.

  The showers were pretty up to date. It was no longer an open bay of showerheads, but a bunch of individual “showers” with a curtain blocking you from view of others. They even had dispensers with a shampoo/body wash combo, but it smelled like flowers, so I always brought my own.

  Some of the guys gave me shit. Called me Abercrombie, or some other such name that was supposed to be an insult, but really just meant I cared about my hygiene and the way I looked, so it never bothered me at all.

  Once I was finished getting ready, I told Liam I’d wait for him in the lobby off the gym. If I was Abercrombie, Liam was GQ, and after practice, he always took longer than me to get ready. Rather than wait for him in the stinky locker room, I’d grab a seat on one of the sofas in the lobby, which smelled much better.

  I usually took the time to catch up on social media, or with friends and family, which was what I planned to do now.

  I looked up at the clock, hoping that Cal wouldn’t be too busy at this time.

  He and TJ owned and ran C.T. Custom Body Shop, so their hours tended to be unpredictable. Although, over the last few years, they’d really hit their stride and had been able to hire on some really talented help, so my brother tended to be the businessman, rather than the grease monkey. He still tinkered around whenever he could though, so I knew he missed being under the hood.

  “Hey, brother, it’s good to hear from you,” was Cal’s greeting when he answered his phone.

  I smiled at the sound of his voice, leaned back against the couch cushion, and extended my legs.

  “Hey, how’s things?”

  “Nice and busy around here, which is how we like it. TJ’s out working on a ’59 Corvette that he’s got a major hard-on for,” Cal said with a chuckle, “While I’m stuck in here making sure payroll’s correct. Not quite as bad-ass, I’m afraid.”

  I laughed at the image of my brother behind a desk. He’d always hated paperwork, but I guess it was different when you were running your own shop.

  “How are my favorite niece and nephew doing? And your beautiful wife?”

  “Get your own woman,” was his response.

  I sat up, checking to make sure Liam hadn’t broken his record and was already coming down the hall. When I saw I still had time, I told my brother, “That’s actually why I’m calling…”

  “Oh yeah?” Cal said, his voice full of interest.

  “Yeah, I’m finally with Gwen,” I said, unable to keep the grin off of my face.

  “Like, really with her?” he prodded. Cal had listened to me talk about Gwen a lot. First, when I realized I liked her as more than just a friend, and then on many a drunken night, when I called to wonder woefully what I had done wrong. So he knew the significance of my statement.

  “Yup, really with her,” I replied, then told him everything. “Ever since we came home from Brock and Tori’s shower, we’ve been inseparable. It’s great, Cal, better than I’d ever even imagined.”

  “And you guys worked through all of your shit?” he asked, a hint of concern tingeing his excitement.

  “Yeah, for the most part,” I replied, unwilling to bring up the stuff from high school that I knew Gwen still needed to face, especially over the phone.

  “Well, that’s great, brother, I’m really happy for you.”

  “Thanks, man, I’m happy too,” I admitted, then asked, “Hey, you know about Gwen’s showcase coming up, right? Are you coming?”

  “I’m not, Craig, but the gang is definitely coming in full force. Shelly really wanted to go with Gabs and Sasha, so I offered to stay back with the kids. Scott and I are going to get together and start showing them how to play poker,” Cal joked with a laugh. “I wish I could be there, for Gwen, and to finally see the two of you together, but I want to give Shelly her getaway.”

  “That’s cool, Cal, I understand. I’m glad everyone else is coming out though, it will mean the world to Gwen. You should see some of the stuff she’s showcasing, though, brother, she’s off the charts talented.”

  “I’m sorry to miss it, but give her my love, and tell her I’ll be at the next one.”

  I looked up and saw Liam coming down the hall, and said to my brother, “Will do, man. I’ve got to get going, but I’m glad I caught you.”

  “You’ll be home for Thanksgiving, right?” he asked before signing off.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Okay, see you then. Love ya, Craig.”

  “I love you too, Cal, see you at Thanksgiving.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven ~ Gwen

  Present Day (20 years old)

  My body was thrumming with nerves and excitement. The day that I’d been working toward since the moment I first held a camera was finally here, a showcase of my photographs. My own exhibit.

  I wandered the room, critically eyeing the setup of my prized possessions. The black-and-white photos hung proudly on the stark-white walls of the gallery, and I felt myself becoming choked up as my gaze landed on each piece reverently.

  “Everything looks beautiful, Gwendolyn,” Mr. Harris, the owner of the gallery, assured me. “I’m about to open the doors, are you ready?”

  I gave him a
small smile and nodded, fighting the urge to turn tail and run in the opposite direction. Instead, I made myself stand still as he walked to open the doors.

  People started flowing in, and my heart began to patter normally again. People had actually shown up, I wasn’t going to be left standing in a stark room of my photos all alone.

  My mouth formed a genuine smile when I noticed my sister through the crowd, and when I saw what she was wearing, I had to laugh.

  We looked almost identical with long maxi shirts, sandals, and flowing tunics; the only difference was that her hair was loose, and mine was in a long braid that fell over my shoulder.

  “I’m so glad you came,” I gushed when she got close enough to pull me into a hug.

  “Of course,” Gaby replied. She pulled back and looked me over. “I drove up with Mom, she should be in any moment. We carpooled with TJ, Sasha, Brock, and Shelly. Cal and Scott are on kid duty.”

  “You all came?” I asked, my voice filled with awe.

  “Of course,” Gaby said. Her eyes surveyed the room, and when they landed back on me, I could see the tears lining them. “We’re so proud of you.”

  I cleared my throat, trying to stop the burning before I ruined my makeup.

  Soon I was being passed down, getting hugs and congratulations from some of the most important people in my life. Finally, I was in Craig’s arms and I allowed myself to wilt a bit against him as the joy threatened to overwhelm me.

  “You good?” Craig whispered, then brushed his lips against my forehead.

  “Never better,” I replied as I leaned back to look up at him.

  “Knock ‘em dead, baby,” he responded, then released me so I could break away from the group.

  As much as I’d love to spend the rest of the night with my family and friends, I had to make my rounds and be social with all of the attendees.