Crescent Hill

by Jackie Wang

  My left arm held Maggie up as my right hand roamed up and down her back. “It’s insane how attracted I am to your smile, your body, your voice, Maggie. You are my addiction, sweetheart.”

  “Bring me to the couch, Roman,” Maggie whispered. “I’ll show you how attracted I am to you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I walked over to the living room and gently placed Maggie on the plush sofa there.

  “Sit down.” Maggie gestured to the spot beside her.

  I obeyed, sinking into the cushion. My cock strained against my zipper, already hard after just one kiss. Only Magnolia Summers could fan my embers into flames. Only she could ensnare me with her passion; make me yearn, beg even, for the slightest contact, the lightest touch.

  Maggie didn’t waste any time. She rolled on top of me, straddling my raging erection, her palms splayed against my chest. “Roman, I’ve been thinking about this for a while now.”

  “Me too,” I groaned. “A lot.” It felt great to finally admit how I felt about her.

  “I just didn’t want to act on my feelings. I didn’t want to lead you on; give you the wrong idea,” Maggie said, leaning down and kissing my neck. “I didn’t want to start something knowing that we didn’t have a future together.”

  My heart nearly jumped out of my throat. My sensitive skin quivered with need, desperate for another sweet caress from her soft lips. Maggie’s busy hands found my belt buckle and snapped it open. Then she carefully pulled my belt out and tossed it on the ground. Her hips gyrated on top of me in an easy rhythm. Only two layers of fabric separated me from the prize that lay between her legs. I swore under my breath.

  Was this just a dream?

  “You know how to drive a man crazy,” I muttered, my fingers dancing under the swell of her breasts. Her perky globes strained against her wool jumper, her nipples so hard I could see them through her bra. “I’ve been fantasizing a lot about what your nipples look like,” I whispered, nuzzling her cleavage. “Small, pink buds? Flat, tawny, pebbled—”

  I stopped mid-sentence when Maggie pulled her jumper off, revealing a midnight blue bra with a sequined clasp at the front. “See for yourself,” she purred.

  I delved between her breasts, licking my way from one to the other. Her breath caught, and the flesh strained even harder against its fabric prison. Unhooking the tiny metallic clasp, I let the bra fall open, unveiling Maggie’s magnificent body. Her breasts defied gravity; her hard nipples puckered from the cool air. I slowly tugged each strap off her shoulders, relishing in the tiny sounds she made as I did so. I drew her right nipple between my lips and sucked on it, delighted by the sounds she made when I did so. “You like this?”

  “Mmhm.”

  I molded my left hand against her left breast and squeezed. “What about this?”

  “Mmhm.”

  I opened my mouth and took in as much of her breast as possible, greedily sucking on them, savoring the taste of her. Maggie arched her back and ground against me harder, her hips perfecting her rhythmic seduction. My erection physically hurt from being restrained; I felt close to exploding, and my mind swam deliriously with need. I adjusted her position on top of me, and unbuttoned my jeans. While I played with her breasts some more, Maggie pulled down my zipper and began easing my trousers off. I pulled away and kicked my jeans off completely. “The boys…” I began.

  “Just stay quiet,” Maggie said. “Don’t wake them up.”

  “Might be a bit difficult considering how—” I pointed to my cock, “—happy, my friend is to see you.”

  Maggie freed me from my briefs and my engorged cock sprung free, rigid and tingling with need. Maggie began untying her loose yoga pants. Once she’d wiggled out of them, she walked toward me with fierce determination in her eyes. I unashamedly gawked at the waxed beauty nestled at the apex of her thighs. A delicate bud ripe for the taking.

  Maggie was a woman on a mission. A mission to pleasure and be pleasured. She dove into her purse, found a condom and carefully tore it open. Then she sank to her knees, pinched the tip of the rubber and rolled it down my shaft. I groaned when her fingers brushed against me, her gentleness made my balls tighten with unprecedented fever.

  Maggie stroked me a few times before climbing back on top of me. Her pussy was already unbelievably wet, and I slid into her effortlessly. Maggie lurched forward as I dove into her, her breasts swaying inches from my face. I took her nipples between my lips again, and with each thrust, sucked so hard she yelped.

  “Not so loud, love, you might wake up the boys,” I teased, flicking her nipple with my tongue. “We need to be discreet, remember?”

  “Hard to be quiet when you’re doing all these insanely hot things to me right now,” Maggie groaned. “Do you have to—”

  “My body has a mind of its own.” I winked and thrust my hips. Hard. So hard I bottomed out, and Maggie clenched against me. Her pussy lips wrapped around my shaft perfectly, her tight channel, every man’s dream. I steadied her hips with my hands and thrust again, this time slow but hard. Maggie’s bum clenched, and I gave her cheeks a firm slap.

  “Fuck…Roman…I—”

  “I agree,” I said before she could even finish her sentence.

  Our bodies sang when they connected, a perfect harmony. We matched each other’s rhythm and pressure with ease, and I couldn’t believe how effortless and euphoric it felt to make love to Magnolia Summers. She was everything I wanted and more; but how could I convince her of that without scaring her off?

  I rolled Maggie onto her back, while my cock was still buried inside her. “Come for me, love.” I stroked her clit with my thumb, petting it with just enough pressure to make her writhe underneath me. “Surrender to me.”

  “Roman—Oh fuck, Ro—” And just like that, Maggie arched her back, shut her eyes, and her lips formed a perfect O. Watching my partner ride her orgasmic bliss shot me through the stratosphere. Mission accomplished. My balls tightened, and I sank on top of her, grunting as I exploded inside her. “Fuck,” I swore. “That was fucking amazing.” Satiated, I remained still as warmth and euphoria washed over me.

  Maggie was my everything. In that moment, I wanted nothing, no one else.

  Maggie threaded her fingers through my hair, mussing it. “I’ve never come that fast before,” she whispered. “That was insane.” I could feel her uneven breathing gradually settle into a more predictable rhythm. I gave her nipples one last kiss before I pulled out of her and tossed the rubber.

  “So—” I cleared my throat. “When can we go for round two?” I grinned.

  “That was fucking hot,” Maggie said, slipping her bra back on. “Unexpected, but really, really hot. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “Now that I’ve had a taste,” I said, pulling my trousers back on, “I will be dying for more.”

  “Who says you’ll get more?” Maggie asked, hooking her clasp. “Maybe it’s a one-time deal.” The quirk of her parted lips, however, suggested otherwise.

  “Trust me, you know as well as I do, that there will be an encore. And it’ll be even more earth-shattering than this debut.”

  Maggie stood up and gave me a peck on the lips. “In that case, I look forward to your next performance, Mr. Finnegan.” Her wink alone was enough to make my cock stir.

  Holy shit, I was in big trouble.

  Chapter 20

  It was late by the time I returned to Crescent Hill Lodge. I’d opted not to stay over for fear the neighbors would gossip even more than they already did. I didn’t care for their banal chatter, but I didn’t want Maggie to suffer for it. The walk back was sobering; the cold so brutal my ears felt like they’d been sliced open. Blood churned in my veins, pooling at the center of my forehead and staying there. My muscles tensed against the chafing wind, and I bundled my coat tighter against my body as I shuffled through the snow.

  My boots were drenched, and my toes were frozen stiff, but I didn’t care. I’d just shagged the one woman who’d been off-limits since day one. And I f
elt damn good. Of course, the guilt would probably kick in later, but for now, I didn’t want anything to dampen my mood. I rolled some fresh powder into a ball and began kicking it, quickly making a larger and larger snowball until it was so huge I couldn’t move it anymore. The exercise warmed me up some, and my frozen face thawed a little. I was deliriously happy, and couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot.

  Maggie felt more fantastic than my wildest dreams, and I was already desperately awaiting our next encounter. Screw the rules. Screw the gossips. I needed more of her. What we just shared was only sampler, and I was starving for the main course.

  Once I reached Crescent Hill, I found the damn front door stuck again. Mercy had taken care of the steps, but hadn’t gotten around to fixing the entrance yet. Damn. Just my luck.

  I pulled out my cellphone and dialed Rhea’s number. It wasn’t until a minute later that I realized there was no signal, and my phone had 2% battery left.

  Large white drifts began pelting my jacket, and they stayed there, collecting in the fabric folds. I shook off the snow and pounded on the door. I could hear loud eighties rock music booming throughout the hotel, probably to keep everyone awake and alert. No one would hear me. I contemplated going back to Maggie’s house, but it was at least a half-hour walk away, especially with the weather turning so quickly.

  So I settled for the closest option: Grandma Rita’s cabin. No doubt she’d be shocked to see me there. Might not even recognize me, given her mental state, but I was sure she wouldn’t turn me away in a blizzard.

  Ten minutes later, my padded gloves made contact with Grandma Rita’s crooked door knocker.

  “Who is it? I don’t have any money!” Rita barked.

  “It’s me, Roman Finnegan,” I said. “We met a few days ago!”

  “Go away, I hate solicitors!”

  It was almost eleven by then, and I was so exhausted my eye sockets ached. Defeated, and frozen stiff, I said, “It’s me, Rita, Carl. Please let me in.”

  Name-dropping worked like a charm. The door clicked open seconds later, and Rita’s face lit up. “Carl, what a surprise. What are you doing here at this hour? Where’s Maggie and the kids?”

  “They’re at home,” I said. “Listen, can I come in first? I’m freezing.”

  “Of course, of course,” Rita said, beckoning me inside. “I’ll make you a hot cuppa tea.”

  “That’d be lovely, thanks.”

  As I sat in Rita’s doily-covered armchair, trying to resuscitate my deadened hands, Rita put the kettle on.

  “You like Chai, right?” she asked, pulling open an unmarked tin.

  I hated Chai, but was in no position to be picky. “Chai would be fantastic.”

  Rita carefully scooped some fragrant tea leaves into a strainer, her hands shaking while she did so. “You haven’t told me why you’re here yet, Carl. Is everything alright at home?”

  “Everything’s…fine,” I said. “I came here to do some business at the lodge, but the doors were frozen shut. The weather was starting to turn so…So I thought I could stay here for the night. If it isn’t too much trouble. I could sleep on the floor.”

  “Nonsense. You can take the sofa, dear,” Rita said. The electric kettle began spewing massive amounts of steam, which curled around the cabin’s antique furnishings and quaint décor.

  “I thought you and Langston had a falling out,” Rita said, pouring boiling water into my cup. I stood to help her. “Thanks very much, Rita.” She handed me a cup and saucer, and I brought it back to my seat. “Langston…He can be very stubborn, yes, but I think we’ve…worked it out.”

  “He forgave you?”

  “Yes…I think he did.” I unwrapped my scarf and set it down beside me. My lies were getting more and more extravagant. I had no idea if Rita believed any of it. Surely I looked nothing like Maggie’s high school boyfriend? I took a sip of the tea. It left a strange, foul taste in my mouth. I’d only had Chai twice in my life, but I was fairly certain it didn’t taste like this. I grimaced. “May I have some cream and sugar?”

  “Of course.” Rita reached for a jar of sugar cubes and a tub of cream powder. I settled for the sugar cubes, dropping four of them into my small teacup. I stirred it with a plastic spoon and took another sip. Better, but still off. Stale, almost.

  “Are you back for good, Carl?” Rita asked, eyes wide. “You aren’t going to pack up and disappear again, are you? Broke Gregory’s heart last time, you did.”

  “I-uh-I’ll see where this goes, I guess,” I said, stumbling over my words. Did she really think I was Maggie’s ex-boyfriend?

  “At least you’re being honest,” Rita said. She settled into the armchair opposite mine. “Blizzard outside, you say?”

  I nodded. “Might be a bad one. Just about froze my balls off out there.”

  “Language, Roman!” Rita said, sitting up. “I thought you were a respectable young man.”

  I was confused. Did Rita recognize me? “Listen, it’s getting late and…”

  “You can sleep over there,” Rita said, gesturing to the pull-out bed. It was covered in a ragged, tartan blanket.

  “Thank you so much, Rita,” I said, putting my drained teacup in the sink. “That tea was lovely. Have a good night.”

  “Just so you know, if you break Maggie’s heart again, you’ll have to answer to me,” Rita said, turning off the light. “Got it?”

  I nodded in the dark. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “That girl, she’s been through more heartbreak than the rest of us combined. She needs stability now. She deserves to be happy,” Rita said, her uneven footsteps echoing through the cabin.

  “I agree, Rita. One-hundred percent.” If only Rita knew just how badly I wanted to give Maggie a happily ever after…

  Chapter 21

  Nine Days Left

  I woke at around eleven, according to the cuckoo clock mounted on the wall. Shit, I hadn’t meant to sleep in. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Maggie, sitting on the couch, watching telly with Rita. My gaze drifted over her curves and memories of last night made my cock stiffen. “Maggie?”

  “Hm?” Maggie said. “Morning, Roman.”

  I pulled back the tartan blanket Rita had given me sometime last night. “The boys…?”

  “With my parents. They’re all coming up to the lodge soon. You told them to meet at noon, right?”

  “Right. I didn’t—you must be wondering—”

  Maggie smiled, tearing off a corner of her muffin and tossing it into her mouth. “Grammy explained everything. She still thinks you’re Carl.”

  I rubbed my eyes and sat up, my back stiff from the hard mattress. “I had no choice.”

  “You were pretty clever, I’ll give you that.” Maggie handed me a scone and grabbed my coat. “Now come on, let’s get to the hotel.”

  We said our farewells to Rita before trudging through the ankle-high snow toward the hotel. Maggie was wearing a black jacket with a furry hood, and calf-length, tan moccasin boots. Her golden hair gleamed down her back, and swayed from side to side as she walked. As usual, she was a vision.

  “So…about last night,” I began, trailing behind her.

  “It was amazing,” Maggie said. “But we probably shouldn’t let it happen again.”

  “Why not?”

  Maggie stopped, turned around, and arched her brow. “You know perfectly well why not.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not sure I can do that, Maggie. You have this hold on me—”

  “Roman, we work together.”

  “Only for nine more days.”

  “Exactly. Then you’ll be gone. I don’t want to be fuck buddies,” Maggie said in a whisper.

  “I don’t want that either,” I said. “Why do you think I invited you to London? Because I want more than sex. I want to learn everything about you. I want this to blossom into something more.”

  “I’m not sure that’s what I want,” Maggie said, kicking up snow. My hand found hers, and I pulled her to
a stop.

  “Wait, Maggie.” I reached up and stroked her icy cheek. “Look me in the eyes and tell me last night wasn’t phenomenal. What we had, it was more than sex, Maggie. We opened up to one another. You shared your secrets. You finally let me inside your world.”

  “Yes, but—”

  I backed Maggie up against a tree and kissed her, my tongue seeking its mate. Our breaths fogged up the air, which was silent, except for the occasional bird call. “Tell me you don’t want this. Tell me, and I’ll stop,” I groaned. I couldn’t get enough of her taste, her smell, her lips, her body, her infectious laughter, her everything. And I knew, I just knew, that she couldn’t stay away from me either. No matter how hard she tried to deny it.

  Maggie’s lashes fluttered as she sighed against me. I kissed her neck, giving it a tiny suck. I could see the blood rushing through her veins. “Mmm.” She trembled some more, her knees weak. “Roman, we’re in public. Someone might see.”

  “This part is off-limits to the staff, right? Only Rita lives here, and she’s watching telly.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Maggie asked, cheeks flushed.

  I tugged down her jacket zipper, revealing a pink blouse underneath. “I’m not suggesting anything,” I murmured, unhooking the first button of her blouse.

  Maggie raised her hand to stop me, but I continued with the second button. “I’m freezing,” Maggie gasped. “What the hell—” I kissed her again to silence her.

  I stopped after the third button, and pulled aside her blouse, revealing the frilly edges of her lace bra.

  “Roman…”

  I pushed down the cups of her bra with my thumbs, then leaned down and sucked on her dark, perky nipples. “Absolutely delicious,” I moaned.