by Lee Crystal
When she put her arms around my shoulders and tugged on my hair, I lost all reserve, all control and pushed her harder against the wall. Her leg rose over the curve of my hip, and I pulled her other leg up, holding her by her ass. God, she felt good, soft and all woman. I wanted to devour her.
I reached the faucet with one hand and turned the water back on, then moved us both under the spray. She was eager in her kiss, and when she licked at my throat, I growled. Her hands were running through my hair, and her legs were tightening around my waist. I wanted her naked, like right now.
I slipped my hand under her shirt, and felt her quiver when I touched her bare belly. Moving my hand up until I felt the material of her bra, I moved to the back, unhooking the clasps. Her sharp intake of breath just stirred me into more need. I caressed her ribs and torso, then pulled her bra and shirt above her chest.
She had perfect breasts. I cupped one in my hand, loving the weight on my palm. She groaned when I brushed the tip of her nipple with my thumb. I kissed her mouth again, as my hips were lightly thrusting into her. I was spiraling, and needed to calm down. I couldn’t make love to her in a shower, covered in flour.
I nipped at her bottom lip and pulled my hand from her breast back to her bottom.
“Baby, I need to get this stuff off me,” I panted. She stilled, and took several gasping breaths before unlatching her legs and sliding down. She started to pull her shirt down, but I grasped her hand. “No, sweetheart, let’s wash together. Okay?” I didn’t want to scare her, but I was nowhere near ready to let her go. Besides, she saw me naked, only fair I got to see her delicious body naked, too.
She looked up at me, and I could see she was nervous. Hell, so was I. I didn’t want to screw this up. It was several long moments before I saw determination light on her angelic face, and she began pulling her shirt and bra up and over her head. She was beautiful, more than beautiful. I saw the blush infuse her cheeks, and her timid expression, but it only turned me on more, if that were possible.
I got to my knees and rested my hands at her hips, then leaned in, placing a kiss on her soft belly, and felt her quiver. I put my thumbs in the waistband of her pants and began pulling them down, with my lips trailing down her belly to her hips, and back to her belly button. I had her pants to the floor before I pulled back enough to see her in all her exquisite nakedness. My God, she was breathtaking.
When she instinctively tried to cover herself with her hands, I knew I had ogled too long. I stood up, grabbing her by her shoulders, and drew her in to me. When she moaned, I had to grit my teeth in an effort not to turn her over and take her from behind, like some kind of wild animal.
“Baby, will you help me wash off?” I ground out, and hoped my gruffness didn’t scare her. She only nodded, and grabbed the sponge and soap. After she lathered, she rested the sponge on my shoulders, moving down my chest and then my abdomen. At the brush of the sponge, my dick twitched, and Taryn just stared. Honestly, I think that was really the first time she just looked at me. Her steady gaze made it twitch again, and she dropped the sponge.
“It does that, sweetie, it’s normal,” I said softly, hoping I didn’t sound at all condescending. She looked up to me, and I loved her wide, innocent eyes, even when they were nervous. I reached down, grabbed the sponge and made quick work of washing the rest of the flour away. I pulled her under the spray, and let the water run over her hair as she watched me. When I started massaging the shampoo into her scalp, she closed her eyes and let out a small sigh.
I finished with her hair, and using the sponge, I ran it from her shoulders to her fingertips, then back up to her chest, and over the curve of her breast. Her eyes grew wider, and darkened. I continued over the tip and underneath, repeating the same to her other breast, noticing her breaths growing shorter the more I touched. I moved the sponge down her belly, before turning her around to face the wall.
I lifted her long curtain of wet hair, placing it over her shoulder. I sucked in a breath at the sight of her back. I knew it was there, had brushed my fingers over the raised skin before, but hadn’t seen the damage left on her perfect skin. Her body had gone rigid, and she tried to turn around. I firmly rested my hands on her shoulders, halting her. “No, you are perfect,” I murmured in her ear. I could feel the slight tremors through her shoulders, and placed a kiss on her neck, then each shoulder before moving down her back.
The word Bitch was crudely scarred down her spine. I was surprised, with how deep the cuts had to have been, that he didn’t damage her spine. I started with the B, caressing, kissing, and licking around every ugly letter. Scarred or not, she was gorgeous and unflawed. She was a warrior, and she carried battle scars, scars that proved how strong and courageous she was. I finished worshipping her back by placing a kiss in each dimple of her lower back, and turned her back around by her hips.
She had tears in her eyes, and a look of awe on her face. “You are beautiful, I love everything about you and your body,” I said softly, as I lifted up one foot. Starting with her petite toes, I washed all the way up one leg, then the other. I stopped at the beginning of the scar on her thigh and ran my fingers up the length of it, placing a kiss to the center.
I stood back up, lathering my hands, then resting my palm against her lower belly. I moved my hand in small circles, making my way to the apex of her thighs.
“You tell me to stop if you want me to, Taryn,” I whispered, praying to any and every god available that she wouldn’t tell me to stop. She looked at me still wide-eyed, and slowly put her hand on my wrist and started pushing my hand toward her mound. I closed my eyes and groaned at the feel of her soft hair there. Her grip tightened. For a moment, I thought she wanted me to stop, so I stilled and looked at her.
“Please,” she whispered with a push to my hand. I moved lower and slipped my fingers in between her folds, never taking my eyes away from hers. The moment was so personal, I was flooded with intense gratification—an unbreakable connection to her. I don’t think I could have loved her more than at that moment. The trust she gave me was a gift, one I would cherish for the rest of my life.
She emitted a loud moan, and I knew I had to get her out of there, like pronto. I picked up the shower wand and sprayed the soap off her body, then reached for two towels. I wrapped her up snugly, and then wrapped the other around my hips and led her out of the shower.
In the bedroom, I laid her down on the bed, still clad in only her towel. I leaned above her and kissed her forehead, her eyelids, her nose, and then her mouth. I kissed her attempting to show her how much I loved her, what a beautiful woman she was. She was running her hands through my hair at the back of my neck, causing tingles to travel down my spine. I loved her touch, and the feel of her under me.
“Taryn, I don’t want to push you into anything if you aren’t ready. I need you to tell me, baby,” I whispered into her soft lips, then began kissing her jaw and down her neck, lingering at her collarbone. She was writhing under me, and her breaths were fast and shallow.
“Carter?” she rasped. “I don’t know how to…I’ve never…” she was nervously biting her lip. I already knew she hadn’t done anything with anyone, but wanted her to talk to me. I didn’t want her to be afraid to tell me anything. “I’m not sure what to do…I’m afraid…” she trailed off, and I could see that there was definitely something scaring her.
“What are you afraid of?” I asked, and damn if she didn’t blush cherry red and avert my gaze. “Taryn, you can tell me anything, don’t be afraid to talk to me, ever.” She bit her lip harder, and finally looked at me. I could see her eyes starting to well with tears. I sat up against the headboard, and pulled her into my lap. She always seemed more willing to talk if I was holding her.
Once she was nestled into my chest, I gave her a few moments to collect her thoughts. “Now, will you tell me what has you so afraid?” I asked again.
“You’re big!” she blurted out. I was pretty certain I knew what she was talking about, but it would
be a shame not to know for sure, especially when it gave an opportunity to make her blush again.
“Sweetie, I know I’m big, remember I’m my own species? Can you be more specific?” It was a good thing she couldn’t see the grin on my face.
She huffed out a breath. “You’re big… down there, you’re too big.”
Oh God, this was too much. Anyone else, and I would take that as a compliment. With her, not so much. She was obviously distraught about it, and I certainly wanted her to be comfortable with that part of my body. Hell, I needed her comfortable with it.
“What exactly is too big?” Maybe making fun of it would ease her worries.
She groaned in exasperation, “You know darn well what I mean! Your penis, wiener, pecker, your one-eyed wonder! Need I go on?” she screeched, finally showing me a blush so red, it went clear to her ears. I lost it, the laugh barreled out of me so hard I was surprised it didn’t throw her to the floor. She sat up and smacked my chest, her face was serious, and her adorable nose was scrunched up again. The laughter just kept coming. My guts were going to split wide open.
“It’s not funny,” she giggled, and then we were both laughing, snuggled together, almost naked, and we only laughed.
“Dammit woman, I itch everywhere,” I growled at Taryn.
“Everywhere?” she snickered.
“Yes, everywhere! It’s been four hours, and I feel like I have the worst case of jock itch known to man.”
She giggled. If I didn’t love the sound of her giggle, I would be really pissed. Really, I was impressed with her forethought, and her delivery was commendable. Who would have thought she had a conniving bone in her luscious body? Now, if I could just stop fucking itching from the flour, I could think out my own retribution.
“Ah, you poor baby. We could get you some Tinactin, or maybe some Gold Bond?” she crooned with mock sympathy.
I turned to her and gave my best glare, but it was hard to maintain with driving. Yeah, not because of her perfect lips curved into a perfect smile, or her big, jade-colored eyes sparkling with amusement. Driving, I needed to concentrate on driving. Even driving, I couldn’t seem to stop picturing her naked in the shower, or how soft her skin was, or how good it felt with her under me in only a towel. Blue ball syndrome was real, and I had the worst case in the history of mankind.
After we laughed our stupid heads off about her names for a particular stiff part of my anatomy, I convinced her to take a walk. We walked up the street to a small park that had a man-made pond, where we sat in the grass watching the herons and egrets looking for fish. Now we were on our way to my Dad’s house for dinner.
“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘mess with the bull, you get the horns’? Because you certainly got horned, buddy,” she said. She was way too full of her sweet self.
“You just better watch your back,” I blustered. Honestly, I had to come up with something to top her. She giggled again. I loved that sound.
“So, are you going to tell me why we are going to California?” she changed topic.
“Nope, it’s a surprise.” A surprise I was anxious to see.
She groaned. “I hate surprises,” she grumbled.
I smiled. “You will love this one.”
The rest of the drive was mostly quiet with music playing softly. I took her hand, and placed it on my thigh. I was worried that she would be embarrassed or go back to being timid with me after the shower. She blushed every time she looked at me at the park, and it had me thinking we went too far, too fast. I was relieved when she turned her palm in my hand and intertwined her fingers with mine, giving my hand a squeeze. I looked to her, and saw a small smile while she watched out the window.
We made it to my dad’s and I helped her out of the car. Her limp was a little more pronounced, and I was kicking myself for chasing her through the house. I really needed to start those stretches with her, although the thought of her stretching, with my hands on her, had my pants stretching painfully.
At the door, I put in my key and we walked into the foyer. The house was large and in an upscale neighborhood. My dad had plenty of money, but wasn’t overly flashy about it.
“Dad?” I hollered.
“Kitchen!” he hollered back.
I led Taryn into the kitchen. I could tell she was nervous, her body was tense, but when she saw my dad, she smiled boldly, dropped my hand and hugged him. I was stunned, and the look on my dad’s face told me he was as well.
“Mr. Belmont, thank you for your help last night, and I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye,” she said softly as she released him and backed into me. I could feel her trembling as I pulled her closer into my body, hoping to reassure her. Damn, I was proud of her.
“Um, you’re welcome?” He was obviously perplexed, but then he smiled back at her, and I could feel her body relax. “Call me Cedric, and why don’t you guys go on out to the patio, the grill is on. I’ll bring out the rest of this stuff,” he said while pointing to the steaks and salad.
After dinner, we lounged on the patio, watching the sunset’s orange and pink glow, and sharing stories. I was surprised to hear that Taryn loved old cars—she actually bought Ethan’s Camaro for him. She and my dad kept most of the conversation going, while I watched Taryn. She had so many expressions, and I could see everything she was feeling on her face. It was refreshing how honest and clean she was. A person didn’t have to wade through bullshit with her.
When it was time to leave, Taryn had become much more relaxed with Dad, and hugged him without the same tension or nervousness as before. Dad hugged her back, while giving me a nod of approval. He loved her, which wasn’t surprising. Taryn had the personality and beauty of a siren, she could lure anyone in, but it was only a precious few whom she actually allowed to pass her barriers. Thank fuck I was one of them.
Once we were nestled in my bed with her cuddled into my chest, I breathed in her scent. She almost had a sweet citrus smell, it was clean and fresh. It reminded me of key lime pie. I was sure she tasted just as sweet, too. I needed to not think about that right now. I had decided I was going to wait for her to initiate anything more intimate. There were too many things that I could accidentally do to push her into a panic. Frankly, after the shower, and her nervousness about my size, I didn’t want to push her. She needed to know for herself if she was ready.
“Carter, what is something you’re afraid of?” she asked through a yawn.
“What makes you think I’m afraid of anything?” I teased, while running my fingers through her silky hair.
She snorted. “Everyone is afraid of something.”
“Well, if I tell you, you have to swear not to tell anyone else. It’s top-secret stuff knowing what big Neanderthals are afraid of,” I quipped.
“Cross my heart,” she quipped playfully. Then in a more serious tone, “I seem to be afraid of everything. Knowing that you fear something makes me feel less inadequate.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Taryn, I’m afraid of a lot of things, but the biggest fear I have is losing you, of doing something to make you leave. I don’t know if I could take it. And knowing that I couldn’t cope with losing you scares the hell out of me. I haven’t ever been a dependent person, I was an only child, shipped back and forth from one parent to another. I just learned to depend on myself rather than anyone else. So, it scares me to depend on you, that you won’t stay, or that you will stop loving me.”
She lifted her head, piercing me with her eyes. “I have the same fear as you. I try to rationalize why you love me, or what I could possibly offer you, or if you have some kind of irrational hero complex and are compelled to save me. You’re, like, perfect. And I am hung up in too many ways to count. Unfortunately, I have come to depend on you, too. I am afraid of getting so lost in my mind that I can’t ever find my way back, that you won’t be there to pull me out. The love I feel for you is immeasurable, it scares me to have such a connection to you. You make me feel things I have never felt before, an
d they baffle me,” she said softly.
I pressed her closer, feeling pole axed. Her honesty and candor were refreshing. I wasn’t alone in what I felt, we were in it together. “You don’t see yourself the way I do,” I whispered. “Don’t ever cut yourself short to me. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, you radiate with love and kindness. I love your wit, your honesty, the list goes on.” I squeezed her. “Your hang ups do not define who you are. I see you, through all the layers of fear that surround you, and I love what hides under them.” I could feel her tears soaking into my shirt. I pressed my lips to her head, and held on to her.
“I love you, Carter,” she whispered, and soon fell asleep.
Chapter 16- Taryn
“Taryn, are you ready? My dad is here, we gotta go!” Carter hollered from the living room.
“I’m coming!” I hollered back, throwing my toothbrush and hairbrush into my bag. I picked up my bag, taking one last look around the bedroom, making sure I didn’t leave anything. Seeing I hadn’t, I made my way out and to the entry.
“Morning, sweetheart,” Cedric said, leaning down to kiss my cheek. It was getting easier to be near him every time I saw him, and over the past two days I had seen a lot of him. Yesterday morning he showed up with fresh donuts from Donut Kingdom. Cedric poured me a mug of orange juice, then coffee for himself and Carter. I was stunned for a moment. Carter smiled at me and handed me a chocolate cream-filled donut. He had obviously been paying even more attention than I had realized.
“Let me get that,” Cedric said, and took my bag. Carter placed his hand at my back, urging me toward the door, then outside to Cedric’s truck, so we could get to the airport on time. Again, it was a tall truck, and I knew from yesterday that I would need help getting in.
After breakfast yesterday, the three of us piled into Cedric’s truck—well, Carter lifted me into it—then climbed in. He had to meet with an attorney, and a Realtor, so after dropping him off, and taking a full ten minutes to convince him I would be fine with his Dad, Cedric took me to the Tallahassee Museum. We spent four hours walking the elevated walkways over animal habitats, and strolling the nature trails.