Even though they were both farms kids and technically knew how the sex act worked, neither was ready for the reality. She and Kyle made it back safely to their rooms. They both lost their virginity, but it had been an even trade-up for fear. It wasn't until the next day that the possible ramifications of their act hit home. For the next couple of weeks, they sweated bullets, waiting to discover whether she was pregnant.
April cried with relief when she was not. She was sure he did the same, but in the privacy of his own room.
Their hot romance diminished, and Kyle quietly moved on.
After that scare, it was several years before April stepped once again into the sexual arena—older, wiser, prepared. She listened to her friends coo and giggle about their boyfriends, she read popular girly magazines and books, even managed to watch a few porn movies with those giggling friends. Maybe because her first encounter had seriously scared the shit out of her, sex didn't hold the mystery, interest, or passion that she thought it probably should.
The book fell to the floor as April drifted into fitful sleep. A kaleidoscope of images twirled behind her eyelids. Images of a darkly handsome man, ever watchful.
Her defender. The position she thought Glennon wanted to fill. Which shows how little I know about men. Glennon's insistence that the problem wasn't with her didn't ring true.
He was probably simply being kind to the poor pitiful homeless girl.
Then again, if she had been so attracted to Glennon, why did her body tingle when Daniel was near? She didn't have much in the way of solid experience in these matters. Of course, her senses had been on overload for more days than she could count. Her decision-making capabilities couldn't exactly be considered trustworthy, at the moment. The dream spiraled into another dimension.
Chapter Nine
Wednesday, early hours
She was running the par course trail, hard and fast. Naked. Barefoot. Glennon followed, called for her to slow down, to wait. His entreaties lent speed to her feet. But when she turned back, it was Daniel the dark, not Glennon the golden. And he was gaining on her. In the dream, Daniel's eyes glowed like a predatory beast in the half-light of her shadowy world. His big body bounded as smoothly, as sleekly as a panther, his muscles shiny with sweat and outlined in the strengthening moonlight.
April awoke with a start. She gasped; her heart pounded, her breathing ragged, both hands trapped between her thighs.
This is nuts! Pull yourself together, dimwit. You're balancing at the end of the world—
beyond here, there be dragons. There's no place to go, you can't get away. You scurried from Glennon like a frightened rabbit, and look where that got you.
With a whispered curse, April stripped off her tank top and sleep shorts. She brushed her teeth and hair, spritzed on a light scent, then wrapped herself in a filmy, revealing dressing gown she'd found in the wardrobe of the bedroom next door.
Quick, quick, quick, before you chicken out.
She slipped out of her room, paused at the balcony railing. Her hands touched, then caressed, the smoothed, polished wood. She breathed in the peace, the serenity of the lodge. Moonlight illuminated the great room and the gallery, like Nature's own chandelier.
Although the sprawling California ranch house of her youth wasn't anywhere near as grand as the lodge, her father had built their home with his own two hands, using only native woods harvested from their vast acreage.
April had listened, enthralled, whenever her mother told the story of the love that was bound like a spell to each and every piece of wood in the house. Maybe traveling across the country to one of the busiest, one of the most impersonal, cities in the world wasn't the right thing for me. Maybe I need the protection of the trees and the grass and the rich earth of my home, to become bound with nature once again. Or, maybe somewhere like where-the–hell-is-Catamount-Lake, Maine.
Her heart fluttered as swiftly as hummingbirds' wings, as she hesitated at Daniel's door. Before she could muster the courage to knock—or to flee—she heard his deep voice.
"Come."
The moon glow poured through the skylights and windows in his room, outlined him in stark detail. The bedclothes were folded to his waist, his torso naked.
"Daniel, I . . . ."
" Shh. Come here."
"But . . . ."
"I'd greet you properly, but I'm currently in an unfit state."
She wrapped the gown tighter around her body. "Unfit state?"
Daniel swept the bedclothes to the side. Even in the moonlight, she could see the outline of his cock, rising from a dark nest below his belly. His omigod huge, beautiful cock, unless the light played tricks.
He slid over, patted the bed. "Come, angel, sit. No need to do anything. Just bide with me." He rearranged the sheet over his lap.
Angel? April hesitated. Another rejection would be devastating beyond words.
"C'mon, girl, before you get chilled. I won't bite." He smoothed the spot next to him. "Unless you wish it."
His suggestion brought heat to her cheeks. She gave a little hop to reach the high mattress, felt the warmth where his body had been.
He settled one heavily muscled arm around her shoulders, pulled her close. She laid her cheek against his hard chest. A perfect fit. True to his word, he did nothing more than nuzzle her head with his raspy, unshaved chin. He let his fingers play with her silky hair, drawing out the strands to their altered length.
"It was a bit of a surprise to see your hair short. I think I like it."
"Yeah, well, I did a real hatchet job when I cut it. Before I dyed it black. Glennon called in Roberto, stylist extraordinaire. He flicked his magic wand and abracadabra, he made my hair all better until it can grow out."
"Black, eh. Goth woman?"
"More like scaredy-cat woman." She fidgeted. "Daniel, may I ask you something?"
"Of course. Anything you wish." His hand caressed her shoulder, his skin warm against hers.
"Would you ever . . . well . . . would you want to share me with someone else?"
The sudden tenseness in his body made her uneasy.
"Is that what you want, angel?" His mouth brushed her forehead. "Two men to satisfy your deepest fantasies, your darkest desires?"
"N-no. Anyway, I don't think I have deep fantasies or dark desire. But you and Glennon discussed it on the ride up. The idea seemed to excite you. But, I thought being with two women at the same time was every man's fantasy, not two men and a woman.
At least, that's what the magazine articles always say."
He chuckled. "Is that right? Perhaps the only men the columnists interviewed were single and under the age of nineteen. Don't believe everything you read."
"You wouldn't want to be in bed with two women?"
"Not really. I'd rather give all my attention to one woman. My woman."
The way he said my woman sent unexpected chills of excitement racing along her spine. "So, you wouldn't share with another man?"
He took a long moment, seemed to consider the question."Angel, I don't know anyone well enough to trust him in such a situation. And such trust between three people in such an intimate situation would need to be absolute."
"That's not really an answer, is it?"
"If my choices are either aye or nay, then no, I have no desire to share you." He shifted. "You're not over Garrett." More a statement than a question. "Is that what you want? Two men in your bed, so you don't need to give him up?"
It was her turn to be still while she honestly considered. "No, I don't believe I want that at all. I told you before, there's nothing between Glennon and me. There wasn't anything before, there isn't now."
They stayed quiet for a time. Then April freed one hand, reached across Daniel's body, snuggled closer. She felt the strength of his heartbeat against her cheek, then through her palm as she laid her hand over his breast. His skin felt so warm, his body hair silky soft, and he smelled so good. Her hand explored taut flesh over tough muscle, playing across his
ridged torso with the lightest touches. When her finger slid over a flat nipple, he twitched, then moaned. She halted her progress, but left her finger where it was.
"Does that bother you?"
"Angel baby, more than you know. The best sort of bother. My nipples are ultrasensitive, and you're killin' me here."
She continued to explore, stopped when she reached the edge of the sheet. He breathed deeply, but didn't push her hand away, didn't tell her to stop. A bit bolder, she slid her fingers under the sheet. The head of his cock met her, right there. She wasn't sure what to do.
Daniel covered her hand with his.
Here it comes, another rejection. Any smart person would know the routine already. I am, without a doubt, the stupidest of women. I never learn. Her body tensed to slide away from him.
In a motion that surprised her, he didn't remove her hand. Rather, he placed it outside the sheet, over his cock. He showed her how to stroke him through the smooth cotton. Lifting his hand, he sighed deeply as she continued caressing him.
Gathering courage, April ceased stroking. Then lightly, so lightly, she dragged the smooth backs of her fingernails over the sheet, followed the ridgeline of his shaft. A low moan vibrated against her cheek; Daniel rose to meet her hand. She danced her nails across the sheet. He became more rigid. For a moment, the rest of his body held very still.
Throwing the sheet from him, Daniel pressed her hand against his hot flesh.
"Darling girl, your touch feels so very good. Work it for me, angel. Hold me." He spread his thighs, guided her to his balls. "Touch them."
For April, this simple undertaking was new, exciting in a sensual, naughty way.
Since the first time in her teens, sex had been infrequent, more like juvenile play. In and out; equally young, inexpert partners. She hadn't hooked up with anyone, since moving to Manhattan, for other than strictly social interludes. Her group of young, upwardly mobile professionals did the restaurant and bar scene, barely a step up from the college crowd scene. Awkward fumbles. Awkward kisses at the door on the rare occasions a male dinner companion escorted her to her apartment. No one-on-one. No intimacy. No sex.
She slipped her fingers under his heavy sac, which felt loosely wrinkled, warm, and elastic. Captured in her palm, his testicles were smooth. She kneaded them gently.
At her touch, the flesh moved in her hand as his skin puckered tightly and his balls firmed up.
A groan slipped past his lips.
April stopped, anxious. "Am I hurting you?"
"No, baby, not at all. Your touch feels fantastic. Haven't you played with a man's testicles before?"
"Not really. Well, actually, no." She cradled his balls, fascinated as they tightened in her palm once again. She touched his cock, glanced at him, attempted to gauge his likes and dislikes, wishes and wants—not having much in the way of experience to go by.
He seemed to read her hesitation. The words that followed were soft and low.
"That's fine, lass. Investigate all you wish."
Propped up on an elbow, she folded her small, slender hand around him, her fingertips barely able to touch. She jacked his shaft. Once. Twice.
Moaning deeply, he slid closer.
"Is this all right?"
"Oh yes, angel baby, very right."
Should I? April leaned in, then, with great daring, licked him like an ice cream cone.
"And this?" She licked him again. "And this?"
"You're tormenting the hell out of me, girl. Now suck it properly."
She looked at the size of him, and shook her head. "I don't know, I never—" I never had my face, my mouth, my lips this close to a man's naked cock before.
"Just the head, darlin' girl, take only the head in your mouth." He took the shaft in his own hand, offered it to her. The structure of the thing in the ambient moonlight fascinated her. The thick ridge, the swollen veins. The clean smell of soap and warm man. Tentatively, she licked the crown. Braver, she pulled him into her mouth, suckled him as she licked, her tongue as busy as her lips.
With a half sigh, half moan, Daniel pulled her up and over his thigh, once again bringing her next to him.
"Have I done something wrong?"
"Oh no, nothing wrong. On the contrary, everything you do feels quite marvelous. I don't want it to end yet." He came up on his knees, helped her off with her robe, settled her with pillows propped behind her. "Angel mine, you are so beautiful."
He moved between her legs, then pushed her thighs apart with his knees.
Instead of mounting her, he lay between her legs, resting on his elbows.
"Daniel, what . . . ?"
"Hush. I want to taste you." With that, he dropped his mouth to her mound and brushed her sex with his lips.
"Daniel!"
" Shh, it's my turn to play." He slid his arms under her knees, then brushed his hands over her thighs. His fingertips parted the lips of her pussy. His tongue lapped at her exposed labia with broad swipes, then he targeted her clitoris with his warm mouth.
April squeaked, struggled to sit up. "You can't—"
"Oh, but I can. And I shall." He lowered his mouth again and speared her with his tongue. "Did none of your lovers do this for you?"
He took her in his lips, gently sucked her clit. He dragged his tongue over her slit from bottom to top.
She wriggled under his attentions."N-n-no. Not many lovers, anyway. More like boys."
Daniel looked up at her and smiled. "I'm glad, then. That makes me the lucky one." He backed away from her. "Stay right here. Don't move."
He left the bed, rummaged in his shaving kit on the dresser. He returned to his position between her smooth thighs. His mouth renewed laving the lips of her pussy.
He shifted. April suddenly felt a cold wetness dripping on her clit. She inhaled sharply.
"It will warm up in a moment." With that, Daniel massaged the lubricant up and down the lips of her pussy with gentle, loving fingers.
" Ooh, that feels nice. Smooth-like, silky." April wiggled her hips a bit, pushing against him.
"That's a good girl. Enjoy. It gets better." Apparently satisfied that her flesh was slippery enough, he entered her with a long, strong finger.
With his free hand flat over the top of her mons veneris, he removed his finger—to her disappointed sigh—then replaced it with two. He probed deeply, twisting them slightly as he withdrew, then thrust straight into her again. As her flesh became more pliable, he entered her with three fingers, palm up, very slowly, very deeply. Instead of withdrawing, he pushed into her to the knuckles, curled his fingertips inside.
Omigod, what I have I been missing all my life? Moaning loudly, April arched her back, grabbed the sheets in a death grip. She spread wider, then sank against his probing fingers. "It feels . . . you feel—"
"Shall I stop?"
" No! Daniel, don't stop, whatever you do, please don't stop!" She lifted her buttocks, which forced his fingers deeper. " Omigod, I never felt anything like this before!"
"Baby, keep still for a moment." Daniel applied more lubricant. With great care, he began working four fingertips into her pussy, just the tips, slowly, turning his hand as he gently explored the outer layers of her vagina.
Staying quite still under his attentions, she did not ask him to stop. Actually, she couldn't speak at all, through the haze of pleasure fogging her brain.
She couldn't prevent her breath from catching in her throat as he withdrew his fingertips, then returned two fingers in their place. With a swipe of his other hand, he wiped most of the lube from her clit. He quickly grabbed her sex in his mouth with a strong sucking motion. He seriously finger-fucked her, as he sucked and twirled his tongue on the ultra-sensitive fleshy bud of her clitoris.
" Omigod, omigod, omigod, Daniel, please do it, do it, do it, omigod—Daniel!"
When the walls of her pussy imprisoned his fingers, he thrust and pumped as her hands laced into his hair, pulling him even closer. Her pelvis strained upward to meet h
is mouth. Voices in her brain chanted, do it, do it, do it!
And, damn it, he did. When her orgasm exploded, he kept the rhythm going, until April felt the pulsing of her channel finally ease off. She whimpered when he withdrew his fingers and mouth. The whimper changed to a drawn-out moan of absolute pleasure as he covered her mound with his palm, then firmly kneaded her overheated flesh.
"There, baby, is that better?"
" Mmm," was all she could manage.
* * * * *
They lay quietly together for a long moment, until he felt her breathing settle, then Daniel shifted his body over hers. He pressed the slippery crown of his cock along the furrow of her sex, pushed her pussy lips wide, then began to penetrate her with his heavy shaft. He hoped his fingers had done enough to pave the way. She said she wasn't a virgin, but he wouldn't have known otherwise; she was so tight.
"Daniel, this might not work—"
He entered her, slowly, smoothly. Under his hot, heaving body, she inhaled deeply, but made no move to stop him. The feeling transmitted through his cock defied description. He stayed quite still, until her tight flesh could better accept him.
Her hands slid down his back until they reached his buttocks. She surprised him by grabbing his ass cheeks and pushing her hips up. With a twist. He withdrew, then buried himself, swift and sure. All of a sudden, his brain tripped into gear.
" Bloody hell! April, baby, I didn't think. Sweet sodding Jesus, I'm sorry."
Her eyes flew open and her pleasure-fuzzed brain attempted to focus on his words.
"What?"
"Angel, I didn't use a condom." For the first time in his life, he hadn't used a condom. What the fuck? It was true that he'd grown out of the practice of keeping condoms handy. That's still no bloody excuse. It had been a long, dry spell since he'd been with a woman. A really long spell. And April, his angel, so damned delicious, so enticing, so—
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