* * * * *
Long moments later Caja stirred against Michael’s shoulder. “You know what big boy, there’s one more thing we forgot to check.”
Michael looked down at her in disbelief. “Jesus! You really are tyrant. And you’re nuts too if you think I have the strength to do any more running tonight.”
Caja grinned up at him impishly. “Oh, I think you’ll love this, come on.” She unwrapped her legs from around his waist, and pushed him back so she could adjust her clothing for decency.
Michael stepped back slowly and removed the condom. After disposing of it he took her extended hand and followed as she led him to a door marked Employees Only. She quickly punched in a key code, then led him up a stairway to the second floor. She flipped a light switch and continued into a small, blue-tiled bathroom. She halted at a row of showers and there she backed him up against the back wall of one of the stalls. With her eyes locked intently with his, she hooked her fingers under the bottom of her t-shirt and pulled it over her head. Their gazes still entwined, she unfastened her bra and shrugged it off her shoulders. Watching his face flush and the intensity of his gaze got her hotter as she stripped out of her remaining clothes and moved over to remove his.
Once she had him naked, she took his hard cock between both her hands stroking down to the bulbous tip, rejoicing at his accompanying hiss of pleasure. She reached for the water controls and adjusted the temperature, then filled her hands with liquid soap. The feel of slick soap sliding over his muscular contours sent her desire soaring. When her hands moved down again to grasp his erect cock an almost inhuman sound forced its way from Michael’s throat. Caja couldn’t wait a second longer ; she had to taste him , and slid down to her knees on the shower floor.
She took his cock between her lips, causing Michael’s entire body to go rigid. He growled out loud when Caja took his penis into her mouth down to the base. She slipped it out halfway, then slid her tongue around the mushroom head before taking it in all the way down to the base again. She continued this way for a long moment, steadily increasing the pressure of her mouth, then gently took his balls into her free hand, stroking them rhythmically in time to her mouth’s motion on his cock.
MICHAEL stood rigidly; pressing his body so hard against the wall he was amazed he didn’t go right through it. Every cell in his body focused on the movement of Caja’s sinful mouth. Each warm, wet stroke inched him closer to his peak. Just when he thought he couldn’t hold back a moment longer, she began stroking one long finger along his taint. Michael couldn’t contain the howl that roared up from his chest as he picked her up from the floor and slammed her against the wall, thrusting his cock into the depths of her pussy in the same motion. The sensation was so incredible , he couldn’t bear to move. He stood between her legs, breathing heavily, his body shuddering with the effort to control himself. Then Caja began to move up and down on his shaft, mewling with her own pleasure. Michael grasped her waist tighter in an effort to stop her movement, but it was too late. The shivery sensations in his cock and balls suddenly exploded through his whole body. He could only hold on for the ride as their bodies writhed together in frenzied pleasure.
He stroked his hands down over the round contours of her ass. Suddenly more than anything he wanted to feel his cock sink balls deep into the round globes. He slowly slipped a wet finger between her cheeks. She ground against him even harder, almost setting off another orgasm. He quickly pulled her off his still-erect cock. Lifting her by waist he slowly impaled her luscious ass. Michael gritted his teeth, the sensation of entering her tight ass was more than he could bear. He leaned down to ask if she was okay, her mewling response made it clear that she was enjoying this. He slid a hand between the folds of her sopping wet pussy to find her clit. He began strumming softly, then more firmly as he felt her trembling response. Soon his mind took over from his body and he could only respond to the pleasure, slamming himself balls deep into her tight ass over and over again. Caja braced herself against the wall, her head hanging down as she met thrust after thrust with her own eager movements. He pinched her clit more firmly, just as he totally bottomed out in her ass. Caja screamed and shuddered to an orgasm, just as his left him too weak to continue standing and they both collapsed to the floor.
CHAPTER
6
CAJA leaned against her living room door. Her wiry body trembling with weariness, she seriously contemplated just lying down and sleeping right there for the next couple of weeks. The stone foyer beneath her feet, and the hardwood floor in the rest of the living room brought her up short. Neither surface seemed like good candidates for her final resting place. No, at the very least she’d have to make it to comfort of her brightly hued chenille sofa. Everyone else called the color burgundy, but Caja insisted it looked more like Merlot. She loved the way it stood out as a punch of color in the otherwise neutral room. She’d filled her entire home with the Danish Modern furniture she’d been collecting since college. The blonde wood contrasted nicely with the dark hardwood floors, and gave the whole house a sophisticated air. Caja grimaced. That impression lasted only until they ventured into her bedroom. Just when she’d worked up the strength to seek the luxurious sanctuary her sofa offered, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced down at it, and groaned when she recognized Michael’s telephone number. She ignored the call for a moment, then decided to just tell him she didn’t want to see him. She flopped down on the sofa before answering the call.
“How’s the grand opening going? Sorry I couldn’t be there. We had an emergency staff meeting after work today.”
“What was the emergency?” Caja asked.
“Somebody let a walker ride home with his noncustodial parent yesterday.”
“Huh?” Caja asked. Too tired to make sense of what he had said.
“The kids who are picked up are riders. The ones who walk, well, they’re walkers. We have to keep it straight, or it gets to be a big mess. Anyway, we all got chewed out, but the kid was okay.” He changed the subject. “You sound really tired,” he said in a sympathetic tone.
“I am,” Caja sighed into the phone. “I don’t think I’ve slept in more than twenty-four hours.” After a brief pause she continued , h er tiredness momentarily forgotten in her excitement. “We’ve got a lot of new members, and most of them signed up for a three-year membership.” She reached down to pull off her shoes. Thank heaven for bungee laces, in her current state she didn’t even want to contemplate the notion of untying anything. “Some are transfers from the South Parkway location, but most are new people. Isn’t that fabulous?”
Michael agreed, then asked, “Have you eaten dinner Caja?”
“Are you kidding me? I haven’t sat still in days. I’m sorry Michael, but I’m really not up for going anywhere.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s almost ten. I’m not even hungry. I’m just going to bed.”
“Tell you what, why don’t I bring something over? You know you need to eat. Is your key still in that rock?”
“Yes,” she said hesitantly, having forgotten for a second that he’d seen her retrieve the emergency spare she kept in her side garden.
“You go ahead and lie down. I’ll bring you a snack, okay?”
“Michael, it’ll be 11:00 before you get here...” Caja protested.
“I’m not at home. I’m pulling into Miwon right now.”
Caja reclined on the sofa, her head resting on the armrest. Sushi did sound good. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten anything decent. She couldn’t help but wonder if maybe some of her old food issues were resurfacing. She pushed the thought away, not wanting to contemplate such a horrific notion. Truth be told , she simply didn’t have the time to deal with it at the moment, but she’d have to make time to eat, no matter what. She knew all too well what could happen if she didn’t. No point in putting her family through that insanity again. “Okay Michael, I’ll see you in a little bit.” Another jaw-cracking yawn nearly split her face as she hung up the phone
. Caja snuggled more deeply into the plush cushion and considered pulling the tapestry throw from the back of the sofa to cover herself. She fell asleep before her mind could complete that thought.
* * * * *
Caja awakened when Michael pulled the throw over her slumbering form.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I thought I would just let you sleep. Didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“It’s okay,” she scrubbed a hand over her face as she sat up trying unsuccessfully to wipe the drool and God only knew what else off before he saw it. “You were right. I do need to eat.” And take a shower she added silently , feeling decidedly grungy after the past few non-stop days.
She followed Michael into the kitchen where he was pulling out a couple of plates for their meal. As he removed the sushi rolls she felt her chest tighten as she realized he’d remembered all her favorites. Girl, if you’re not careful, you’re going to fall for this guy, she thought. No worries though. A man like Michael would never get serious about a woman he slept with on the first date. Caja recognized the truth of that thought. She’d known it from the beginning. So why did it bother her so much? She shook her head sharply. She had far too much going on in her life right now to get sidetracked by a man.
Caja smiled up at Michael as he pulled out a chair at the table for her.
They enjoyed their meal in companionable silence. Caja grew increasingly embarrassed by her inability to stop yawning. Finally, unable to fight sleep any longer she excused herself. “I’m sorry Michael. I shouldn’t have let you come all this way, but I’m going to bed. You’re welcome to stay, I’m just not up for anything tonight.”
Michael stared at her for a long moment. “What the hell do you think I am? You’re sitting there barely able to hold your head up, and you think I came over here for sex? Give me some credit,” he snapped, his luminously brown eyes standing out even more against the furious color rising in his face.
Caja lowered her head. “I’m sorry, you’re right. It’s just that I -- ” She broke off, not wanting to say her thoughts out loud.
“It’s just what?” Michael asked.
“Never mind.” She’d had no trouble discussing their friends with benefits status with other guys. Why did she have such a hard time talking about it with Michael? Was it because she knew Laila? Kit often accused her of depersonalizing men. That was hard to do when she’d spent so much time with a member of his family. Still, seeing one another for anything but sex didn’t bode well for the future. It tended to muddy the waters and start making things too much like a relationship. Caja exhaled heavily through her nose, then stood to remove the dishes from the table. Even if she’d wanted to discuss it, at the moment she was simply too tired to speak coherently. After rinsing the dishes in the sink she placed them in the dishwasher.
“Do you want the bathroom first?” she asked when he’d followed her back to her bedroom.
“No, that’s okay, you go ahead. I need to get my bag out of my car.”
Caja nodded , remembering that he’d told her that he always kept a change of clothes in his car. In his profession hardly a day went by that he didn’t find himself covered in paint, food or assorted other messiness. She watched as he left the room, and then slipped into the bathroom to prepare for bed. She took a brief shower, and put on the gym shorts and t-shirt she typically slept in. When she returned, she found Michael removing her throw pillows from the bed, carefully placing them on the chaise. Another yawn broke through as she smiled at his conscientiousness. “It’s all yours.” She gestured towards the bathroom.
Michael grabbed his Dopp kit, then walked into the bathroom.
Caja awakened briefly when she felt Michael climb into bed beside her, then immediately fell back into a peaceful slumber.
* * * * *
Caja awakened slowly, luxuriating in the warmth from Michael’s large frame curved spoon-fashion against her back. He generated a tremendous amount of heat, penetrating the thin fabric of the t-shirt she wore, making her want to purr like a satisfied kitten. She couldn’t believe they’d slept all night and hadn’t made love. That had to be some kind of record for them. She snuggled closer against his bare chest, inhaling his delicious masculine scent. She didn’t realize Michael was awake until she felt the unmistakable pressure of his erection against her backside.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered, his lips pressed against her hair, “It’s just my morning wood. Doesn’t mean I’m going to try anything.”
Caja turned to face him, answering in a n equally soft whisper, “Oh really? I think I’m just a bit disappointed.”
Michael raised his brows. “I thought you were too tired. You still look beat all to hell to me.”
Caja playfully smacked his chest. “Gee, I don’t know how I can resist such flattery!”
“Seriously , baby,” he said, “you’ve been running like crazy the past few days. You haven’t been taking care of yourself and you’re still tired. I know you’re good at your job. You worked a miracle with Laila. I’ve never seen her so happy in my life. But you’re wearing yourself out. No sex until you rest up. Are you hungry?”
Caja’s ears perked up of their own volition. Surely she hadn’t heard him properly. Had he really declined sex? That preposterous notion had barely entered her brain when it was dislodged by the rest of what he’d said. “What’s with you and your sister? She did all the work, not me. I’m just the trainer ; my job is the easiest part of the program. She’s the one who had to change her whole lifestyle. I’ve had to do that before. It’s not easy.”
Michael shook his head at her. “Yeah, you certainly look like you’ve got an easy job. And you didn’t answer me. Are you hungry?”
“You are obsessed with that topic, aren’t you? Hanging out with you is like being with a flock of baby vultures! Do you think of anything besides food?”
Michael gave her a pointed look. “Do you really want me to answer that? These days I hardly think about anything besides making love with you. It makes things a bit difficult when I spend my days surrounded by other people’s children!” The infectious nature of his laugh forced Caja to join in. “I just want you to have enough strength to handle what I’ll be putting down later. So, are you hungry? Do you have to go into the gym today? And the answer to that had better be no. You’ve been there around the clock for days!”
“I know, and you’re right ; I am unbelievably tired. I don’t know why it is, but I wasn’t this exhausted when I opened the first gym five years ago. And I had a lot fewer people working for me then.” She barked out a self-deprecating laugh. “It must be old age catching up with me.” She gave a heavy sigh, no matter how much she wanted to , she’d established a routine with the first fitness center and she couldn’t change it now. “Michael, you know I work every day. My people have to be available at all times. I can’t ask them to do something I wouldn’t do.”
Michael sucked air through his teeth. “So what time are you going in?”
“Pretty late. Let’s sleep in and go out for breakfast later . Okay ?” She tried to placate him.
Michael wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up against his chest. Then he smoothed the sheet and bedspread over them both. “This feels so damned good I don’t ever want to get up.”
Caja sighed in content agreement. Nothing had ever felt this good before.
* * * * *
Little League i sn’t nearly as much fun as hockey, Caja thought as she watched the players change field positions at the end of the inning. She had to concede that it would probably be more interesting if Michael were in the bleachers with her, instead of in the dugout with his pint-sized charges. Her brothers, Roland and Brandon had both played Little League, but being several years younger than the y; she didn’t really recall the specifics. Watching Michael coach the kids did raise the entertainment quotient significantly. She already knew that he was a gifted teacher, but he really excelled as a coach. He amazed her with his unending patience with the easily di
stracted children. He caught her eye with a chuckle when one of the kids missed the ball because he was watching jets fly overhead. Despite distractions ranging from bunnies to bees to aeronautical wonders somehow he managed to keep them on task to a win.
Shortly after the game she made her way down to the dugout to join him. She knew he had to stay until all the children were picked up. She hung back as the parents gathered their children. When only a few were left, Michael gestured for her to come over to the bench where he sat with the remaining players. Though it was only mid-morning, the heat was already coming off the field in waves. The legendary Alabama red clay absorbed and released it like a brick oven, raising the heat index even higher. The players all had enough of the stubborn dirt on them to keep their mothers in the laundry room for days to come. Even their coach hadn’t managed to avoid a smear or two. Caja watched as he removed his baseball cap and wiped it across his sweaty forehead, inadvertently adding another dirt streak to his already smeared face. She shook her head in bemusement, Damn! Even covered in dirt, and surrounded by even dirtier children, that old boy c an get my knickers wet.
“Coach Flower! Coach Flower!” shouted an adorable tyke with short dreadlocks, “Is that your girlfriend?”
Head of the Class Page 5