“Same,” Dynassy said, and when the waitress walked away, “go on.”
She appeared so calm I had no idea what she was thinking, but I had to get this out, so I plowed ahead.
“As far as the skin goes, my abdomen and thighs have had many skin grafts, so there’s some scarring and it’s not smooth like a baby’s butt, but it’s not too bad either. It doesn’t hurt anymore, and there are a few places where I don’t have much feeling.”
She nodded, and I took a few long sips of my beer before continuing.
“Is one of those places your…?”
This was the moment I’d dreaded ever since I saw her across the room at the benefit for the injured vets. I cleared my throat and pressed on. “Ever since the accident, I haven’t had any feeling in my dick. After a while, with all the surgeries… I’m able to go to the bathroom normally now,” I could feel my face heating up, but I kept talking, “but I wasn’t able to get an erection.”
She blinked. Then those big dark eyelashes blinked more rapidly, but she didn’t say anything. As she processed my words, the pit in my stomach sank lower and lower, and I remember feeling this way when I had to tell my former fiancée that I wasn’t sure if I would ever be able to perform my husbandly duties with her. Samantha had cried and hugged me, but in hindsight, I think it was the beginning of her having an excuse to say goodbye, because she had already become involved with my best friend.
“What did the doctor say?” Her words jolted me away from those unpleasant memories.
“They say I have nerve damage, and they’ve been telling me that the sensations might come back, but they couldn’t give me a timeframe.”
Dynassy squeezed my hand and nodded. “I’m so sorry. That must be awful for you.”
“It has been.” She could have no idea how difficult it had been for me, especially with the business that had fallen into my mangled lap after I made a machine to do the job for me. The whole thing had been incredibly bizarre and ironic. You’d think a guy who couldn’t get it up would have trouble getting women, but my days were filled with naked women ready and willing for sex. Hell, I got paid well for it, but the fact that I couldn’t service any of those women with my cock was my biggest humiliation.
And now that I knew Dynassy Barnes, I’d give up every single one of those women for a night with her. Which was why I had to tell her the whole truth.
She leaned in, a conspiratorial look on her face. “I have to tell you, I’m almost relieved.”
“Relieved?”
“Yes. I thought there was something wrong with me, the way you kept leaving me at the end of the night. I thought you weren’t attracted to me.”
“So you’re glad there’s something wrong with me?” I knew celebrities were superficial, but I hadn’t pegged her as insensitive.
“No, I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I just mean that I’m glad the explanation for why we haven’t slept together yet isn’t because you don’t think I’m hot. Wait, it’s not that, is it?”
“Not at all, and that’s what I want to tell you.”
But before I could tell her the biggest news I’ve had in my life in years, the waitress came back over and brought our food.
“Would you like some more drinks?”
“Definitely!” Dynassy and I said in unison. That made us laugh, which released some tension, and I realized I was breathing more normally now.
We each took a bite of our food then I continued.
“I’ve been hindered in this way for four years. I’ve seen a lot of things that would normally have aroused me, but I’ve never gotten any response from down below. I kept waiting to feel a stirring, to come to life, but it just never happened—that is, until I met you.”
Dynassy shifted in her seat. “Me?”
“Yes, you. The reason I didn’t go into your house with you that first night was because I knew I couldn’t take things any further. It was humiliating, so I just avoided the whole situation. But when I got home and I started thinking about you—my cock got hard. For the first time since my accident.”
Disbelief crossed Dynassy’s face, and her mouth formed a perfect letter “o”. And I couldn’t help but imagine slipping my newly awakened cock between those beautiful lips of hers.
“So I thought I’d better tell you what a powerful effect you have on me, girl.”
She blushed. “Are you serious?”
“Oh I’m serious.”
“So, now it works?”
“I’m not sure how well it works. Honestly, I can’t promise anything, because I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s certainly starting to work.”
“Oh my gosh. That’s amazing.”
“You’re amazing. You’re like my own personal boner fairy.” That made her laugh, and I could tell the way her eyes were shining that she recognized it as a compliment.
“So I hate to be so foreword, but now you’ve got me really curious. Do you think maybe we could try it out?” she asked.
“Hell yeah,” I said. Then called out to our waitress, “Check please.”
13
Bridger
* * *
The drive to my place was a blur. Whenever it wasn’t a detriment to my driving, I held Dynassy’s hand. It was like we wanted to be as connected as possible until we could get somewhere where we could really get connected.
It briefly occurred to me that Dynassy had never been to my duplex before. It was a medium-sized building, and I only had one neighbor, an actor who traveled a lot. Fortunately, it was close to the beach and I got us there in record time.
The sun was just setting, and the way the pink and orange light hit her face made her even prettier.
“I like your building. Is it pink?”
I held my chest like she’d shot me. “Seriously? We’re trying to reinforce my manhood here, not kill it. It’s peach, not pink.”
She giggled, and I thought for the hundredth time how adorable she was. “Oops!”
Those lips were begging to be kissed, and I couldn’t even wait until we got inside. I stood on the threshold and bent to taste her warm, honeyed tongue. She welcomed the intrusion and answered with a passion of her own, until finally I broke free to unlock the door.
The minute we got inside we were back in each other’s arms; she was unbuttoning my shirt, I was trying to figure out how to get her out of that dress.
“It has a zipper,” she breathed, her voice all husky and dripping with sex as she turned around to give me access.
My dick was semi-hard and as my fingers fumbled to grasp the tiny pull of her zipper, I worried I might lose whatever stiffness I’d managed, but when I yanked it down and I saw what was beneath, I realized that shouldn’t be a concern. With a shrug of her shoulders, the dress fell to the floor, giving me an up-close view of that heart-shaped ass that had won this girl millions of fans worldwide.
And it was even more magnificent in person. She wore a light blue thong so there wasn’t much hidden from my view. Her plump cheeks were as round and delicious-looking as an apple, and I gave her a nice, firm smack on one cheek.
“Oh!” she exclaimed, and unhooked her bra so that it fell to the floor.
I reached for her and turned her around, my cock growing harder by the minute.
Suddenly shy, she kept her eyes down and began to work on unbuttoning my pants.
Taking her in, I was blown away by her beauty, but also her seeming insecurity. Cupping her chin in my hand, I tilted her face to mine.
“You’re gorgeous. You know that?”
She tried to look away, to shrug it off.
“No. Look at me,” I commanded, and she did.
“What?” She squirmed under my inspection of her.
“You’re always posing half-naked for pictures, sharing them with millions of your followers, but now you’re here, naked with me, and you’re shy?” I couldn’t figure it out, but she was definitely uncomfortable under my scrutiny. “I think you’re beautiful. There’s no reason to feel sel
f-conscious.”
She stood up straighter. “Fine. It’s just different.”
“Why? How is it different?”
“When I post pictures, they’re doctored, there’s Photoshop or at least filters. People expect me to be perfect, but I’m not. At least in real life.”
“No one is, but you’re pretty damn close.” I wanted to say, “And I see a lot of hot, naked women every week,” but I refrained.
“Thank you. You’re not bad yourself.”
I pulled her to me, but didn’t break eye contact. “Dynassy, I don’t want to oversell this whole thing, because I really don’t need the pressure, but it took a lot for me to tell you about what happened to me and all. For you to be the first woman I’m with after everything…well, that’s huge. I just want you to know that if I can be that open with you, I want you to feel comfortable being open with me.
She buried her face in my chest and squeezed me tight. “Thank you for being open with me, Bridger. I guess I’m a little guarded.”
I peeled off my pants and my underwear, leaving it in a heap on the floor, then I lifted her up so that she naturally wrapped her legs around my waist. This lined up our genitals perfectly, and my dick throbbed in a way that almost made me forget that it hadn’t been operational for years.
“You are such a bad boy,” she teased.
“You have no idea.” And I carried her back to my bedroom and tossed her on the bed. Then I climbed on top of her, taking her breast in my mouth, tasting her, carving that nipple to a point with my tongue, and making her moan with pleasure.
I moved down, spreading her legs wide.
She squealed nervously. Apparently my little celebrity wasn’t accustomed to being the receiver when it came to oral sex, and as I lapped at her pussy, I hoped to God she was a giver.
“Oh, that feels so good,” she purred.
I kept going, prepping her with my fingers as well.
Honestly, normally I would have loved to have taken more time with Dynassy, and I hoped I’d have a chance to play with her more later, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my damned dick.
What if my erection didn’t last?
What if I couldn’t come?
What if I fucked everything up with Dynassy the way I did in the past with Samantha?
What if I wasn’t really a man the way I thought I was, the way I wanted to be?
Impatient to get on with finding the answers to all my questions, I got off the bed and wandered back into the hallway.
“Where are you going?”
“Condom,” I called back. They were in my wallet in my back pocket. I’d picked up a pack a couple of days ago—just in case. Now I rolled the sucker onto my erection and lumbered back to the bedroom.
Dynassy gazed up at me with admiration. “You know, you are a very sexy man.” She beckoned me back to the bed. That was what I needed to focus on—the irresistible woman in front of me, not all the other crap.
I wedged my knee between her thighs, lowered my body onto her, and cradled her head in my hand as I kissed her hard, rubbing my cock against her opening.
This was it—the test.
Would I be able to sustain an erection long enough to satisfy her? Long enough so that I could ejaculate?
Yes, I’d done it before, but it had been once, and I’d been alone. I had no idea how the performance anxiety that I naturally felt would affect things.
I actively shoved all those doubts and negative thoughts from my mind, and I pushed into Dynassy.
Instinctively, she shifted and pulsed around me to accommodate my intrusion. The pre-lubed condom allowed me to fill her swiftly and fully in one slick stroke. Her back arched and I planted kisses on her neck, whispering, “God, girl, you feel so fucking good.”
And she did. Better than I remembered sex feeling.
“Mmhmm,” she cooed and wrapped her arms and legs around me. Her fingernails scraped up and down my back, making my skin tingle the way a good back-scratch does.
My hips rose and fell, each thrust sweeter than the last.
I expected I’d be more tentative when I took her, but I wasn’t. I was like a wild animal who’d finally been let out of his cage.
My hands were all over her—pawing, caressing every inch of her. The sensation of her soft skin against mine ignited a passion in me so deep, I lost myself in it.
“I’ve wanted this so badly, Dynassy.”
“Me too,” she gasped, and I could tell by the face she made, she was about to come.
“That’s it. Let go.”
When her climax overtook her, she quivered all over.
And thank God, mine was not far behind. I pounded into her like a man who’d just escaped from prison—fast, hard, and desperate. With one last pump, I exploded into that rubber.
“Did you do it? Did you come?” The look of concern on Dynassy’s face was adorable.
I chuckled. “Yep.”
She flung her arms around me and held me so tight with me still inside her.
“I’m so happy for you!” she squealed.
“For us.”
“Definitely for us.”
After I got up and disposed of the condom and she used the restroom, we got back in the bed. Her head rested in the crook of my arm, and we fell asleep in each other’s arms, enveloped in a cloud of happiness that I should have known would be short-lived.
14
Dynassy
* * *
“So I need to meet this Bridger fellow. I hear you’re dating him now. Regularly.” Lucinda sat across the breakfast table from me in one of her colorful mumus, a turban wound around her head, her face fully made up down to the false eyelashes and lipstick.
“I am.” The cameras were rolling, so I was less forthcoming than I might have been otherwise.
“Aww, c’mon. Tell me about him. What’s he like?”
“Well, he’s our mechanic. At least he works for our mechanic—you know, Sal at the body shop, the place where they’re working on my car.”
“That place that Nick likes.”
“That’s the one.”
“The car you totaled?”
“Why does everyone keep saying that? I didn’t total it. I just banged it up a little.”
Lucinda gave me a look that screamed “whatever” but she didn’t say anything.
“Anyway, I’ve seen him a few times since the event, and we get along pretty well.”
“Nice? Does he have one of those cute dogs, like those military dogs, the ones who’ve lost a leg in the war?”
I shook my head. “No, he doesn’t.”
“That’s too bad. Those are really cute, you know? That would be good on the special coming up. We have some dogs that will be there, but it would be better if he had one and it could be there.”
“Well I’m sorry that he doesn’t have a dog without a leg, but he’s missing one.”
Lucinda’s eyes grew big. “What?”
I laughed. “Kidding, Mom. But I got you there.”
Lucinda set her coffee cup down indignantly. “Dynassy Barnes, that’s not something to joke about.”
I giggled. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But he was injured in Iraq.” I wasn’t about to tell her what got injured, or how I’d somehow miraculously helped heal that part of his anatomy.
That night with Bridger had been amazing. All my concerns about him not wanting me flew away. I felt so badly for what he’s had to go through for the past five years, but it only drew me to him more, seeing how much adversity he’d faced and how he’d gotten through it. The man was a hero in every sense of the word, and the more I got to know him, the more I admired him.
“You say he was injured? So he’s a real hero, sacrificed for his country and all that. Is he okay now?” I could see the wheels in my mother’s brain whirring around in circles.
“He’s better. He had to undergo a lot of surgeries though.”
“But he looks okay? He’s all in one piece?”
I roll
ed my eyes. “Yes, Mom. He looks good. He’s also an incredible person. Super talented. Very protective. Intelligent.”
“What’s his name, this Mr. Wonderful?”
“His name is Bridger Thompson.”
Lucinda took a sip of her coffee and smiled. “You’ll have to bring him as your date for ‘A Barnes Family 4th’.”
“I thought I would.”
15
Bridger
* * *
I wasn’t a fan of being in the spotlight, and I certainly didn’t like to be trotted out like the trained monkey for Dynassy’s family Independence Day gig, but I honestly didn’t know how to say no. The girl’s family was important to her. Hell, they were everything to her—her loved ones and her business all in one big shiny package.
Honestly, I knew I was living on borrowed time with her, so I wasn’t about to make waves when she told me how important it was that I accompanied her to “A Barnes Family 4th.”
I couldn’t get enough of Dynassy, her sassy personality, infectious spirit, not to mention that ass! Like a greedy kid eating all the junk food at the fair, I intended to gorge myself on all the Dynassy I could get my hands on. But when I was with her, I remained aware that once she found out what I really did to make money, I’d be history, so I’d better make the best of it and enjoy our relationship while I could.
A massive stage was set up in the park where Dynassy’s twin brother and sister would perform later that afternoon. Dynassy was supposed to join them for the last number. She only had to sing a couple of lines, but she was nervous.
“Bridger, I can’t sing worth crap,” she fretted in the car on the way over. “Why else do you think I never sing with my sister and brother?”
“So why are you doing it?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Lucinda talked me into it. She even convinced Nick and Eden to make an appearance. I’m not sure how she pulled that off, he hates her so much.”
Dynassy had told me about how their mother had tried to break up Nick and his girlfriend, Eden. I didn’t blame the guy for being pissed. The Barnes matriarch sounded like a piece of work, and I wasn’t really looking forward to meeting her.
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