Afterglow

by Artemis Anders

  “Back to camp?” Aaron said.

  She shook her head. “Not yet. I’m heading up to Mount Lemmon tonight to pull out the telescope. Much less light pollution up there.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “You brought a telescope?”

  She nodded. “You’re welcome to join me if you like stargazing.” It just came out, before she had a chance to think. He’d worked all day, and it was late. When he didn’t respond right away, she felt even sillier. “I understand if you need to get home.”

  “No, I’m up for that. I’m just trying to remember the last time I looked through a telescope.”

  Teagan smiled. “Then let’s go.”

  They loaded her telescope into the back seat of Aaron’s truck and Aaron drove them into the mountains. His truck’s interior was immaculate, save a pillow in the back seat with a layer of stray dog hairs. Once in the mountains, the Tucson lights disappeared from view and they found a place to stop. Teagan breathed in the cooler mountain air and the scent of pine trees. Above, the sky was sprinkled with countless stars, far more than she saw from her campsite in town. The Milky Way streaked across the sky as a series of familiar constellations began to stand out. She set up her telescope and sighted it. It didn’t take long to find Saturn again, lower in the sky that night. She started with the lower magnification lens, and gestured for Aaron to take a look.

  “Huh,” he said, staring into the viewer for some time before standing up. “That’s pretty cool.”

  “Isn’t it? But check this out.” She changed to her more powerful lens and refocused. “Now look.”

  Aaron bent over again and gazed into the viewer. “Wow. You can see the different rings now… although it’s almost out of view…” He glanced at the telescope for a moment, studying it. Before Teagan could tell him how to make the necessary adjustments, he found the right knobs and rotated them before he looked some more. “What else can you see from here?”

  Teagan showed Aaron Venus, the moon and its many craters, and then, with the help of her iPhone app, she located a nebula, its faint bluish colors glowing in the eyepiece, surrounded by black skies. Aaron viewed it all with interest, staring longest at the nebula before he faced her again.

  “That’s fucking amazing,” he said, his eyes lit up with excitement. “Pardon my language.”

  “No need. It is fucking amazing!” She smiled at Aaron’s sudden burst of emotion, perhaps his first since she met him, his stoic outer layer finally melting away. Who knew that stargazing would be the thing that did it?

  Aaron said nothing, staring down at her. Teagan stared back, unable to take her eyes off him, her body tingling with nervousness. God, he was handsome. And before Teagan could think about what to do or say, Aaron leaned in and kissed her.

  Chapter Seven

  Teagan felt Aaron’s hand on her arm as his warm lips met hers. He smelled great, like sunscreen and maleness. He pulled away for a moment, his face hovering a centimeter from hers, as if waiting to see what she would do.

  She should back away. There were tons of reasons she should back away. But she couldn’t think of even one at that moment. All she could think was that she liked having him near her. Receiving no signal to stop, Aaron kissed her again. This time, Teagan gave in to it, wrapping her arms around him as Aaron’s hands held either side of her face. He kissed her with more force this time, like he meant it, his tongue exploring hers. Damn, it felt good to kiss a man again, to feel him and taste him and sense his arousal. Then, Aaron pulled away.

  “Stay at my house tonight.”

  Teagan blinked. All of a sudden, rational thoughts arrived. Her long drive home. Her financial struggles. Her need to get back to work. Most of all, that she wanted nothing to do with men, and here she was fielding an invitation to sleep with one.

  “You said you were done with women,” she said.

  He gazed at her without blinking. “I lied.”

  Teagan giggled at that, looking down. Away from that gaze. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I’ve had a great time, and you’ve been an excellent host. But I need to get home, and I need to leave at dawn tomorrow morning.” She looked up again.

  He still watched her with those eyes. She wanted to back away, to put away her telescope, to do anything that would put space between her and Aaron. But she couldn’t move.

  “Look,” he said. “I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable doing. I’m just saying… you could sleep in a comfortable bed, in a place with AC. I’ll even sleep on the couch.” When she chuckled at that, he went on. “Tomorrow, you can get up early, have a real breakfast… and head home. I have to be up at five anyway. And, my place is on your way out of town. You’ll shave almost an hour off your drive tomorrow.”

  She deliberated for a few moments, the rational part of her attempting to find some flaw in Aaron’s arguments. But rationality abandoned her, overtaken by the prospect of spending just a little more time with this amazing man. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. I’ll sleep in your comfy bed and eat your food.”

  Aaron smiled at that. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Did you leave anything back at your campsite?”

  “Nope.”

  They loaded up her telescope and headed back down the hill.

  Around midnight, Teagan followed Aaron into a development of newish homes, each in varying shades of tan and with Spanish tile roofing and xeric landscaping to handle the extreme climate. He stopped at one of them, pulling his truck into the garage while she parked on the street.

  Aaron carefully transferred her telescope to her truck and she packed it away in its foam blanket. “You need help carrying anything?”

  She shook her head. “I just need a few things.”

  “I need to go let Patton out.”

  Inside, the comfort of Aaron’s AC hit her first. His place was spare—leather couch, big-screen TV, a shelf with technical-looking books, a few family photos, and military paraphernalia. Neat, clean, and free of clutter. The textured plaster walls remained unadorned, other than the framed Captain America poster hanging above his desk. She spotted Patton out back, relieving himself. Aaron appeared in the doorway.

  “You hung your Captain America,” she said.

  He nodded. “I should have bought more art. The place is still pretty bare.” He pointed to one of the two bedrooms. “Bedroom’s in there. And help yourself to anything in the fridge, if you’re thirsty.”

  She bypassed Aaron’s spare room, which had little more than boxes in it, and went to his bedroom. It was also neat and spare, with a queen bed that had a navy comforter and crisp navy sheets. The window overlooked the desert, the moonlight casting a glow over the landscape. So quiet and peaceful it was, compared to where she lived. She pulled the bed covers back and sat on the soft sheets, digging through her toiletries for her toothbrush and wondering what to sleep in. She decided on a t-shirt and underwear.

  When she emerged from the bathroom, she saw no sign of Aaron but heard rustling from the living room. She peeked through the doorway—Patton lay asleep on his bed while Aaron arranged a pillow and blanket on his couch. Teagan smiled, hardly believing that Aaron had remained true to his word about sleeping on the couch. At that moment, she realized she didn’t want him to.

  “You don’t have to sleep on the couch.”

  Aaron turned around. His eyes studied her for a moment, before they traveled down her body and back up again, sending a wave of heat through her. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  He tossed the blanket aside and walked toward her, his gaze dropping to her lips. Next thing she knew, Aaron’s lips were on hers, his muscular arms surrounding her as he pulled her against him. Heat spread through her as she tasted him again, inhaling his scent and pulling him even closer. She felt his hardness against her, and it made her gasp just a little. Suddenly, she wanted that hardness. She wanted all of it.

  Aaron’s hands slid down to her hips before they found t
heir way under her t-shirt and began exploring her bare back. He grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt and lifted it to her shoulders. She reached up with her hands, allowing him to yank it off before he tossed it aside. His hands resumed their place on her waist, until he slid them up to her breasts, another wave of pleasure running through her. She closed her eyes as he brushed his thumbs over her nipples, which grew hard under his touch. It felt amazing to be touched like that again.

  His lips met hers once more, and Teagan felt the urgency in the kiss as his breathing grew more rapid. She tugged at his shirt, prompting him to take it off and let her admire that gorgeous body he’d kept hidden until now. She slid her hands up his bare chest, with every intention of aiming for his shorts next. But before she could do so, Aaron bent down and lifted her completely off her feet, tossing her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.

  Teagan cried out in surprise, giggling as he carried her to his bedroom and lowered her onto the bed. He leaned over and pulled off her panties in one quick motion, and now she was completely naked before him. She smiled up at him, ready to make some quip about him going all caveman on her. But she held back when she saw the expression on his face, his eyes blazing with desire and his usual reserve mostly gone. He undid his shorts and pushed them to the floor, stepping out of them and giving her a visual treat like no other.

  Jesus, he was hot. And rock hard.

  Aaron lowered himself onto her, just hovering over her while she caressed his smooth back. He kissed her again, his mouth devouring her before his lips migrated to her neck, sending another rush of pleasure through her. He found his way to her breasts, kissing and licking her hardened nipples, making her writhe under him as she grew more and more eager for him. His lips ventured down to her stomach, and on down further, until he reached the hot, wet area between her legs.

  He grabbed her legs and spread them apart, making contact with his tongue. Teagan drew in a sharp breath. He worked her with his tongue, each stroke more amazing than the last as she panted and grabbed the soft sheets with her hands. She moved her hips with him, taking in each stroke, a couple of tiny cries escaping her. What Aaron was doing to her felt way too good, too good for her to sustain any longer, and soon it exploded and came crashing down on her. Aaron backed away and she lay there for just a moment, trying to gain her senses again. When she glanced up at him, he had just a hint of a smile on his face, the kind of smile that went with his wild eyes. He wiped his mouth before hovering over her again. He kissed her, hard. His tongue found hers and they shared in just a hint of her own taste, something she’d never experienced before. Tasting herself on him only turned her on more and made her want all of him.

  Aaron moved his hips so that his hardness pressed against her moistness, stimulating her with its possibilities. She moved under him, grabbing his behind and making it clear what she wanted and needed, groaning at how amazing he felt. Aaron paused and reached into his bedside table before rolling on a condom. He lowered himself onto her again and plunged into her.

  She cried out in grateful pleasure as he filled her up. He waited for just a moment before pulling back and then thrusting again, even deeper this time. She muttered a yes, a smile forming on her lips.

  “You like that, do you?” came his deep voice, low and sexy in her ear.

  “God, yes,” she breathed.

  Again he buried himself inside her, and over and over again as she grabbed onto him and brought her hips to meet every thrust. Aaron began to speed up, and just when she felt herself getting close, he stopped. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her.

  He sat up, the tiny smile back again. “Get on your hands and knees.”

  Teagan raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Yes, sir,” she said, making Aaron’s smile widen just a bit. Until now, she’d never imagined that bossy could be so freaking sexy. She rolled over and got on her hands and knees in front of him, her body wild with anticipation. Aaron grabbed her hips and guided them toward him, and he entered her again.

  “Oh, God,” she moaned. As he began to move in her again, she gasped at the feel of him from this angle, penetrating her deep and hitting some pleasure spot she’d completely forgotten about.

  Aaron held onto her hips, pushing into her again and again, going harder and harder as she reared back against him. Soon, Teagan felt herself starting to combust. She cried out, grasping the bed sheets with her hands as her mind and body melted into a fog, her only remaining senses hearing Aaron grunt as he offered his last thrust and gave in to his own release.

  Teagan hung her head down and released some of her grip on his sheets, catching her breath and waiting for the fog to clear from her mind. Aaron remained still for a moment before he finally pulled out. Teagan collapsed onto her side and Aaron lay down next to her, sprawled on his back as he too gathered his wits. She lay there, still and glistening with sweat, the unexpectedness of the situation beginning to dawn on her. Who was this guy? And how did he go from someone who barely acknowledged her to someone who could make her feel like that in a matter of, what, a few days?

  “What are you smiling at?” he said.

  She scoffed. “Like you don’t know.”

  Aaron chuckled. He patted her on her hip before he sat up and went to dispose of their protection. She watched him go, admiring his naked behind as he sauntered away. He returned a minute later with two glasses of water, one of which he handed to her before disappearing into the bathroom again. Soon, she heard the hum of an electric toothbrush.

  Teagan lay there in relaxation, pulling the covers over her as her body began to cool. Sleepiness came over her quickly, and she closed her eyes.

  Chapter Eight

  Beep beep. Beep beep.

  Teagan opened her eyes. She glanced at the clock: 5:00 a.m. already.

  She glanced over at Aaron, who lay on his stomach with his arm slung over his pillow, impervious to her alarm. She got up and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. In Aaron’s clean glass shower, she gave herself the thorough scrubbing she’d never quite managed at the campground. She kept it short, dried off, and combed through her freshly washed hair. In the reflection, she spotted her aspen tree tattoo with its orangey fall leaves.

  She heard a voice in the other room and realized it was Aaron talking to Patton. It was time. Time for her to get going before somebody did something to ruin a perfect night. She searched for her body lotion, hoping to hydrate her desert-dry skin. Then, a knock at the door.

  “Come in,” she said, opening the bottle and squeezing the lotion into her hand. She didn’t worry too much about covering up her nakedness. The jig was up; he’d seen pretty much every last bit of her.

  The door opened and Aaron stood there in his boxer briefs. She smiled at him as she slathered her lavender lotion on her legs. Aaron paused, watching her for a few moments before he finally spoke. “I… made coffee. Is there anything you want for breakfast? I’ve got cereal, eggs… not much else…”

  Teagan finished with her lotion and found her towel, wrapping it around herself. She noticed that he was hard, his briefs unable to hide his arousal. She wanted to stare, to drink it all in, knowing it was the last time she would see it. But she averted her eyes. It was the next morning. He needed to get to work, and she needed to get home.

  What did he ask her? She couldn’t remember.

  Aaron leaned against the threshold. “I liked it better the other way.”

  “Which way?” she said, unsure what he meant.

  “Without the towel.”

  Teagan smiled. And for reasons she couldn’t account for, she tossed the towel aside and faced him, as if daring him to stare at her some more.

  He did, his eyes slowly raking over her. “Much better.”

  Teagan stood there, lotion forgotten, towel forgotten, everything forgotten but the sight of him standing in that doorway, eyeing her like he wanted to taste her all over again. He approached her, his eyes steely and his smile nowhere to be found, until they stood hal
f an inch from one another and she could feel his body heat. He put his hands on either side of her, gliding them up to her breasts, where his thumbs slid over her hard nipples. Down one hand went, right between her thighs, stroking her wetness. She gasped and closed her eyes, clutching him for balance as he slid two fingers inside her. She let out a little moan as he fingered her gently, his lips meeting hers in a kiss that took her breath away.

  He continued to stroke her, their hot breath mingling together as their breathing became more rapid. Needing to feel him and have her hands on him, she slid her hand down the front of his briefs and stroked him.

  Before she could get much further, Aaron pulled his lips from hers and his fingers slid out of her. He lifted her onto his vanity, spreading her legs wide. Teagan grabbed him and pulled him closer, her hands reaching into his briefs until she grabbed his behind and let his hardness meld against the soaked area between her legs. He groaned, crushing his lips to hers again as he grinded against her.

  Suddenly, he pulled away again. “Stay here,” he ordered.

  Yes, sir.

  Teagan waited as Aaron left, quickly returning without briefs and another condom, which he put on quickly. He stared at her for a moment, his steely blues boring into hers, as if preparing her for what was coming. He spread her legs again, stroking her, watching as she opened for him. Then he pushed inside her.

  Teagan let out a breath of approval as he filled her up once more. She wrapped her legs around him, letting him deliver another dose of him, and then another. She smiled again at how great he felt, and then opened her eyes and looked up at him. His eyes were closed and his jaw set with determination, as if working to control himself. When he opened his eyes, his pupils were gigantic and his eyes almost wild, and he grabbed her legs and pulled them up and over his arms. Teagan leaned back on her hands as Aaron’s thrusts got harder and more rapid.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “Just like that.”