One Lucky Girl

by Natasha L. Black

  “I was four,” Owen said. “And Jack Nicholson is a scary bastard when he’s crazy. Anyway, check this out.”

  He held out his phone and I stared. For a good few seconds, what was on the screen didn’t process. The woman with her hair splaying around her like a halo was too beautiful, almost unearthly so.

  “Holy hell you look hot!” Penelope said, peering over Owen to see the screen.

  I looked up to Owen. It was clear he’d done some fiddling with the colors and gradients and all that, but still. “This is how you see me?”

  He nodded. “That’s how you are.”

  Right then, I felt like kissing him, like the rush of feeling in me found a channel. Because it was more than Owen had taken a pretty picture of me. That picture, the way he caught the play of sad and happy, full and empty in my eyes, they way he’d captured it, it was clear. He got me. Owen hardly knew me and yet, he did somehow.

  The theatre attendant returning with our ice cream interrupted the moment but didn’t eradicate it. As the lights dimmed and Owen’s hand found mine, I concentrated my ice cream eating with my other hand, happy for the contact. He stroked my hand, tracing the outline of all my fingers as if finger-painting a portrait of them, stroking up and down every inch of my palm as though trying to read it like braille.

  Maybe I could tell him about losing Brent, I realized in a flash.

  As the movie screen flashed to life and all of us sunk into our seats, it wasn’t the movie I was truly looking forward to, it was what would come after.

  9

  Jake

  What had happened between them at that harbor photoshoot anyway?

  Peering over at Cin out of the corner of my eye revealed nothing. So Owen had taken some hot picture of her on the beach, so what? Yeah, I guess girls liked art, but still. This date was supposed to prove that Cin liked me better, not that she was closer with my brother than I’d feared.

  The big question mark that was Cin itched at me so much, I could hardly enjoy the movie. I looked over at Cin and Owen holding hands and started to feel uncertain about the whole situation for the first time. Was it wrong for me to still go for her when Owen had feelings for her too? My hand clenched my arm rest, the plastic digging back into me. Maybe if this was some lust-fuelled thing I could drop it more easily. Problem was, I didn’t obsess over girls like this. I just didn’t.

  Which meant that this Cin thing was bigger than I’d like to admit.

  Finally, I escaped to the bathroom. On my way out, I ran into Cin.

  “Great minds think alike,” I said.

  “Guess so,” she said.

  Neither of us moved.

  “About before, what happened at the restaurant,” I said. “If you want to go slow, I’m ok with that.”

  She nodded. “Thanks. To be honest, I’m not sure what I want right now. I just like you and I like Owen and I don’t know what it means.”

  “You don’t have to,” I said, taking her hand. “Honestly, I like you and that’s confusing enough. I can’t imagine how confusing liking two people would be.”

  She smiled slightly. “Pretty confusing.”

  “So.” I squeezed her hand. “Is it too confusing to come over to my place sometime?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I’ll take that as a probably.”

  She grinned, pulling her hand out of my grasp. “You can take that however you like. See you back in the theatre.”

  “See you back in the theatre,” I said, smiling to myself. I had a plan.

  It all happened innocuously, so that when Cin returned, just in time for the rolling credits, Penelope announced, “So Jake invited me, and I told them, yes, we’d go over to their place.”

  “You did what?”

  “They have a hot tub,” Penelope said defensively. “And besides, you could use some fun.”

  “Seeing this movie was fun.”

  “You don’t have to go,” Penelope said. “I just think it would be fun.”

  “It would be pretty awesome,” Owen said. “We have a floating tray for food.”

  “And colorful tub lights,” I said. “And a neon flamingo light.”

  “No one cares about the flamingo light,” Owen said flatly.

  I made a hurt face. “So you keep saying.” I turned my attention to Cin. “So what is it – yes or yes?”

  “No?” she tried.

  “Cin,” Penelope groaned.

  “Oh fine,” she told her. “But you’re the one calling in sick for me tomorrow, I swear.”

  Owen and I exchanged grim smiles. We didn’t say it, but both of us were itchy with anticipation. Tonight was the night, I could feel it.

  --

  Back at our place, the girls were impressed by our well-styled interior, our colorful lighted tub.

  But as soon as we got to the hot tub and Owen and I stripped off our shirts, the problem became immediately apparent.

  “We don’t have any bathing suits,” Cin said.

  “I’m wearing a bra,” Penelope pointed out. “Aren’t you? It’s basically like a bathing suit.”

  I feigned nonchalance, although already my mind was spasming with images of Cin in her bra and panties.

  “Feel free to grab a chair and chill outside,” Penelope told her. “But I’m going in.”

  I could’ve kissed the dear woman as she climbed into the tub. She was proving to be more a wing woman than we could’ve even hoped for.

  Cin held out for a minute or so as Owen and I left to change into our bathing suits and climbed in too. But then, sighing, she stripped off her shirt.

  “Fine then.”

  Good thing she was busy quickly pulling off her clothes and hurrying to the tub. My ogling at the exposed curve of her breast and her achingly smooth hips would’ve probably sent her right back into her clothes.

  “Shit,” Cin said after basically propelling herself into the hot tub. “It’s hot.”

  “Who would’ve thought?” Owen quipped.

  “Just wait ‘til you see the lights,” I said, pressing a button on the edge. As blue and purple invaded the bubbling waves amidst us, the girls oohed and aahed appreciatively.

  “Have to say,” Penelope said, spreading her arms out. “You two have me convinced. Maybe a career change is in order. I’m gonna start boxing.”

  Owen and I exchanged smiles at that, but Cin absolutely hooted.

  “What?” Penelope said.

  “You’re allergic to exercise,” Cin said. “You won’t even walk with me.”

  “People change,” Penelope said, although she’d already transferred her gaze to the tray floating its emptiness before us. “Does alcohol come with the tub?”

  I smiled. I liked where this was going. “It can.”

  As Owen got out and got some alcohol, I felt for Cin’s foot under the water. Once I got it, she shot a look my way, and then a smile. I leaned back into the hot tub, enjoying the heat, and the cover of the bubbles since I was sporting a huge hard-on right now. Cin sitting in such close proximity with barely anything on was a real distraction.

  “I vote we play truth or dare?” I said as Owen returned with a bottle of wine and got in beside Cin.

  “Who said anything about games?” Owen said.

  “Cin secretly wants to,” I said, stealing a look at her.

  She pressed her lips together but couldn’t quite hide her smile. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. You should go first. Truth or dare.”

  “Truth… no, dare.”

  “I dare you to kiss me,” Owen said quickly, just as I was trying to think of what to dare her.

  Next thing I knew, her lips were pressed against his. I tried looking away, but I couldn’t. Different emotions went through me: rage, despair, relief. Relief that, although it didn’t feel great, seeing the girl I liked kiss my brother wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.

  “Sorry,” Cin said, wiping her mouth off after. “We shouldn’t have…”

  “Don’t apologi
ze,” I said.

  The whole thing had given me an idea. I waited patiently as Owen and Penelope had their turns, both picking dare. Owen had to do a strip-tease, wiggling his bare butt in front of us while we laughed, while Penelope had to run five laps.

  After the second, she admitted, “Ok Cin, so you were right. Just please, let me stop.”

  Then, it was my turn.

  “I dare me to carry Cin to my bedroom,” I said.

  “That’s not how it works,” Owen argued.

  “Who said I was playing by the rules?” I said as I scooped Cin up.

  “Jake!” she protested as I hoisted her up.

  “Careful now,” I said evilly. “Wouldn’t want to drop you.”

  Half-laughing, half-protesting, she let herself be carried all the way upstairs, until we were in my room on my bed. Mission accomplished. There was just one problem – what were we supposed to do now?

  “So,” I said.

  “So,” she said. “You did it.”

  “I did,” I admitted.

  “Now what?” she asked. In the dark, the way her eyes were glinting made me think she could read my mind and was thinking what I was thinking. But suddenly, stupidly, I was scared. tI didn’t want to push too far too fast or make her uncomfortable. I didn’t want her to run and not com back.

  But I knew if I didn’t at least try, I’d never know. “Tell me if this gets to be too much,” I said as my lips swept to hers.

  Another kiss, and we paused. All of me was tensed, my body fighting against its own attraction, against what it ached to do.

  Her chest was trembling, and I put my hand to her heart. Through her skin I could feel the pattering of her heartbeat. My gaze caught hers.

  That’s when I knew. This was too much – and yet exactly what she wanted.

  My next kiss held no hesitation. It was pure adrenaline acting out of itself. Our tongues twined, and my hands delighted in her skin’s softness and yield. My hands dipped under her bra and upped her breasts. Fucking yes. They were round and full, her nipples perfect nubs that I thumbed.

  As I fed on her neck, her moans spilled over her shoulder as she felt at my bare chest.

  She seemed to have an actual appreciation of the muscles that lined my torso. Like she knew the hard work and the suffering involved in developing each one. It was ridiculous, but as her hands skimmed my limbs, it felt as though they were learning everything I’d ever been through.

  While she, on the other hand, only became more mysterious with my caresses. The more I touched her, the more I wanted to touch her. I felt like she was just under the surface, yet still holding herself away from me just a bit.

  I didn’t want Cin just groaning my name, I wanted her screaming it.

  I lowered my face to her breasts and nuzzled in the space between. Surrounded by fullness on all sides, I kissed and licked and sucked my way to one breast and then the other. I lapped at her nipples, teasing them into hard buds. Below, my cock was straining against my bathing suit, pressing into her leg. Her pelvis was grinding up against me.

  Everything was an onward flow that couldn’t be stopped. Body to body, want to want. My hands tangled into her hair, her nails dug into my back.

  My tongue thrust into her mouth a foreshadowing of what was to come, and she groaned kisses back down my throat.

  “Oh Jake,” she moaned.

  “That’s it, baby.”

  My stroking fingertips were light, then hard. All the while travelling along her left shoulder blade, upper arm, lower arm, over to her chest. Squeezing her delicious breast, swooping down, stroking down. She was bucking up now, knowing what was coming.

  . When my hand reached her bathing suit bottom, it slipped under seamlessly. The soft carpet of her landing strip guided me down.

  Suddenly, her hand slammed onto mine, stopping me.

  “Cin?” I asked.

  She slapped my hand. “Don’t stop. Don’t stop for a second.”

  That was all the encouragement I needed. My fingers dipped in, reveling in her wetness.

  “You’ve wanted this bad,” I realized.

  “So bad.”

  Pulsing in her was as good as stroking myself. Feeling her pleasure, her arousal was intoxicating. My free hand went to her ass and began massaging those firm cheeks. Now her moaning was heightened, her pelvis grinding back into my fingers.

  When I slipped my fingers out of her, Cin groaned, although she understood.

  “First time you come will be from my cock and nothing else,” I said.

  As I slipped the tip of my dick into her entrance, she spasmed with the pleasure of it. Another deeper thrust and she was trembling, her hands gripping my shoulders. Finally, I thrust all the way in and she yelped.

  A groan spilled out of me.

  “So… fucking… tight.”

  “Oh God Jake, please fuck me. Fuck me hard,” she practically begged.

  She didn’t have to ask me twice. I started out with shallow and fast thrusts, getting her groans nice and loud, then I moved into deeper and harder thrusts, gradually building the intensity.

  Already, it was a hell of a time holding in my load, but I managed. No way was I going to screw this up now that I finally had Cin in my bed. Not with the way her groans had reached a heightened pitch, syllables gasped out.

  I was fucking her, and she was thrashing wildly underneath me, and it was nothing short of glorious. This was better than any fight, any win, any anything. This fusion, finally, truly in its fullest sense.

  As I plowed her, and she wailed her glory and came, I watched eagerly, savoring every second.

  Flipping her around and on hands and knees, I took her from behind., Gripping her hips and ramming into her with everything I had, this time, we came together. One shaking, flailing, gasping glory of a release slammed from me to her until we collapsed into a muddle of limbs.

  I rolled over onto my back, staring into the ceiling. My heart was slamming against my chest, and not just for the insanely pleasurable sex I’d just had.

  I realized that even though I hadn’t known her for very long, I was indeed falling for this incredible woman.

  10

  Cin

  This. Is not. Happening.

  That was what kept running through my head every five seconds as Jake lay staring at the ceiling beside me. I’d come harder than I ever had before with anyone. I still couldn’t believe it. The way Jake was looking at me – like he was all about ready to drool at the sight of my body- wasn’t making it any easier for me to come down from this high I was on.

  I opened my mouth, to say something, but Jake pressed a finger to my lips and spoke for the both of us, “There’s something I want to do.”

  Next thing I knew, that ‘something’ was his lips suctioning onto my neck, nibble-kissing their way down. Each new kiss was deeper than the last, more painstaking.

  Jake was so skillful with his lips and teeth and tongue that by the time his finger probed at my entrance, I came at once. It wasn’t as powerful as my last orgasm, but it sent flickering surges of ecstatic feeling through me.

  Jake chuckled. “You like that?”

  When I made to respond, he sunk his face between my legs, and any further attempt to speak was useless. Moans were the only things coming out of me as his tongue traced my lips and flicked against my clit.

  With hands massaging my ass, lips feasting on me, tongue probing my entrance, all I could do was thrash and groan for the deliverance to come.

  When Jake poked a finger in, I groaned. As his fingers thrust into me, my pussy tightened around them reflexively.

  As I floated amidst pleasure, that was when Jake’s lips closed around my clit.

  My ragged wail surprised me, but all further sounds were choked out. Everything was concentrated into the pleasure thrumming between my legs, going from my pussy, fusing into my clit, and exploding into tingling all over my body. I was shaking, coming, then shaking some more.

  And that was when Jak
e upped his pace. A scream ripped out of me – fuck, it felt so fucking good. My vision inverted and swirled.

  And then my body collapsed back onto the bed, spasming still with the after glory, while he stroked me.

  As the darkness merged into sleep, all I could think to murmur was, “Thank you.”

  11

  Jake

  I woke up to the warm scent of vanilla coconut in my nose. Reaching out, my arm stopped, and felt around. I opened my eyes to stare at Cin’s imprint on the bed’s top cover.

  Last night really had happened; it hadn’t just been an incredible dream.

  I gazed, stunned, at the indentations there, tracing them softly with my finger.

  My gaze went to the hallway as my ears peeled for sound, but there was nothing. No liquid surge of the bathroom sink, no sporadic drumming of the shower.

  Mustering myself out of bed, I walked down the hall. The bathroom door was wide open. I stood there on the cool hardwood floor for a moment, as it dawned on me.

  Cin had left. And, what was my preferred MO for girls I slept with, felt off.

  At the sound of footsteps, I saw Owen passing by with a curt nod.

  “Whatever happened to the girls?” I called after him.

  “They must have called a taxi,” Owen called back from a room downstairs.

  I went downstairs, found him with the fridge door in hand, staring at its dismal contents with a similarly dismal expression. “We’re overdue for a trip to the grocery store.”

  “Far overdue,” I agreed, going to stand beside him.

  He made no comment, only let the fridge door fall closed.

  “So, about Cin,” I said.

  His jaw tightened.

  “You get dibs now, it’s fine. You and she hooked up last night. I get it.”

  Despite my brother saying all but ‘you won’, I couldn’t seem to feel as good about it as I thought I would.

  “I don’t know,” I told him.

  He glanced at me. “You don’t know?”