Sing A Twist

by Brooke T. Mays

  I could reach you if I dared

  One touch would reveal how deep I care

  But you pass a breath away from me

  As I stand staring at eternity

  Transfixed in the hallway she stood there listening to him play. Listening to the heart aching cry as the bow pulled across the strings. And then he reached the chorus.

  If I tell you how I feel,

  Will I bring us to the end?

  If I show you my love, will I lose my friend?

  Will you turn away from me

  After the words are said?

  Can I keep you in my life,

  If I take you to my bed?

  The longing was so potent. She Sensed waiting and wanting that had over and over seemed about to end. Almost having what you so desired. A dream that felt so real it hurt when you woke, spoken in simple words of longing.

  He played on, but turned to face her and their eyes locked. She could hardly breathe. Blinking was impossible as Phillip played the bridge again, slowly, ending the song.

  This ache haunts me every day

  Each time I watch you slip away

  But you stop a breath away from me

  And close the gap to eternity

  Her feet pulled her slowly into the living room. “Phillip, you finished it.” Her voice was thick with emotion.

  “I did. This song has waited long enough.” Softly, he sat the fiddle aside.

  Finally, she reached him. “Too long. No more waiting.” The heat between them flared. Elena turned toward her bedroom door taking Phillip by the hand. She felt the tug on her hand and looked back at him in question.

  “Not your room. I want to take you to mine.” He pulled her in the opposite direction, silently leading her up the stairs.

  She hadn’t been in his room since shortly after he moved in. It was pretty bare now, but had been barren then. When he moved from Louisiana he had rented a small, one-way, drive-it-yourself U-Haul. Most of the space had been taken up by his motorcycle and instruments. She took a moment to look around. He had a double bed, small dresser with an attached mirror, and a lot of music equipment. There wasn’t much in the manner of decorations. He had a small picture frame of his family sitting on his dresser next to a clay bowl where he kept loose change and his keys. Tucked in to the corner of the mirror was a picture of the four of the roommates taken right before Christmas break.

  He stepped up behind her and started softly running both of his hands up her arms, starting at her fingers and moving to her shoulders and back down. She wanted to turn around in his arms, but he laced his fingers through hers and molded their bodies together, his front to her back. He bent his head down and start kissed the side of her neck, nuzzling a bit of her hair out of the way. He kissed his way up her neck until he was behind her ear. His hands had been holding hers so tightly it was a bit of a shock when he let go. She didn’t have time to react as one arm wrapped tightly around her waist and held her in place against him. He used his other hand to further move her hair out of the way. He kissed the back of her neck and settled on the skin right above the clasp of her necklace. Elena’s breath was quick and shallow. She liked that. Phillip had been paying attention that night in her room. He moved her hair again and gave the same attention to the other side of her neck. She breathed his name. It came out like a plea. Turning her around, he took a small step back. Her body automatically started to follow, but stopped as he started pulling off his shirt. His eyes burned into hers. She wrenched hers away so she could watch the way his muscles moved as he pulled the shirt over his head and let it drop to the floor. Elena raised her hands wanting to touch his chest, arms, any of the warm skin she had been feeling through the materials of their shirts. Her eyes were roaming over his body and her mouth felt dry as she licked her lips.

  “Elena.” Her name snapped her eyes back to his. The intensity of his gaze made her think he had been looking in to her eyes the entire time. Watching her watch him. He stepped closer to her bending his neck some to keep looking into her eyes as he gathered the bottom of her shirt. Once again her hands remained empty as he pulled the shirt over her head. Holding her shirt in his hand he took two steps back towards the door.

  With a slow, sexy smile he said, “Relax. I’m not goan anywhere. I’m only locking the door.” Embarrassed of what her face must have looked like - dismayed, afraid, pissed - she had been feeling all of those, she looked away and started to cross her arms across her middle. Phillip came back to her.

  “Doan hide from me, cher. Now, if you want to cross your arms a little higher,” he slid her arms up keeping them crossed until they were slightly pressing her breasts up, “while I take this off for you.” He reached around and unhooked her bra. “I would appreciate that.” His voice moved from slightly teasing to an almost groan as she had taken advantage of his closeness when he reached behind her. The muscles of his chest had moved close to her face. Elena had lightly traced her lips along his chest before turning her head slightly up and licking along the line of his collar bone earning her that groan. Her arms were still crossed and trapped between them keeping her bra from sliding off completely. He kept her close as he walked her back the couple of steps to the bed.

  Phillip seemed intent on setting an almost painfully slow pace so it was a shock when he suddenly reached down and picked her up. She somehow got her arms uncrossed and the cursed bra off twining her hands around his neck and kicking off her shoes as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His kiss was fierce as he stood there holding her. Without breaking the kiss, he turned around and sat on the bed before quickly flipping her on to her back so she lay crosswise on the bed. Then he stood back up - leaving her there! Elena’s head was starting to spin. He was moving fast, then slow, stopping then starting. “Condom,” he bit out. He walked back to his dresser and pulled open a drawer. She enjoyed watching the muscles in his back. She recalled the times she had watched him play guitar on hot days without his shirt on. Each time she had somehow found the strength to keep her hands of all that lovely muscle. There was no reason to deny herself now, so she started to get up off the bed. Phillip caught the movement in mirror. “Doan you move from my bed.” She froze, having only pushed up on her elbows. Surprisingly, she found she liked this bossy side of Phillip.

  He stalked back to the bed carrying a handful of condoms before dropping them carelessly on the floor. He unbuttoned her jeans and slowly started to peel them off. She lifted slightly to help him and he moved to stand between her legs. When she lay there naked his eyes roamed up and down her body. He made a sound and shook his head when she started to move again. Starting to get frustrated, she wondered if yelling would you get on with it? would ruin the mood. She settled on, “Then touch me.”

  “I’m only deciding where first,” he said with a small smile on his lips. He started at her ankles moving up the side of her body until he was level with her breasts. All the while, his eyes followed the movements of his hands. He lightly circled one nipple with his thumb before spreading his hands over her ribs and waist. This time his eyes moved in ahead of his hands. Looking at her core, he growled “You’re wet.” She wasn’t able to respond before he slid a finger right down her middle. He passed slowly over her center, circling once where she was most sensitive, and then entered her. He brought his finger all the way out and back up again sliding ever so slowly over her again only to reverse the direction. She wanted more and she wanted faster. When his finger was inside her she tried to pump her hips. When he passed over and off her most sensitive spot she tried moving with his hand to keep the pressure where she wanted it. But Phillip kept up the slow, maddening process.

  “Phillip, please.”

  “Lay still for me. I promise I’ll give you what you need. Give me this time.” She lay back down completely on her back twitching whenever he passed over her most sensitive spot. After several more torturous passes, he started moving faster. She began to pump her hips and he stopped. She lay still again, holding in a whimpe
r, and he started in again. This time rewarding her with the other hand. “Look at me,” his voice whispered silkily. She kept eye contact as one thumb settled over her giving and releasing slight pressure right where she needed it, in time with his fingers now pumping in and out of her. She came quickly and hard. He rode out her orgasm, and then she lay there catching her breath.

  He started to undo his jeans, but she took over. “Let me. I’ve hardly touched you.”

  He grinned her favorite grin at her. “Well, that’s ‘cause I want this to last. I’ve been wanting this for so long.” His eyes and voice both smoldered.

  Slowly, Elena pulled his boxers down with his jeans and he kicked his legs free of them. He rested his weight on top of her and they both sighed at finally feeling their full bodies in contact. They were still laying the wrong way on the bed and his larger body was hanging off too much. She kissed him and they rolled together with her ending on top. She moved to straddle him at the same time he sat up, the movement causing him to slide in to her and her eyes to roll shut. She rode him slowly up and down. She was still so sensitive that the friction soon caused her to orgasm again. She yelled out and this time he joined her.

  He pulled her down with him as she lay spent draped across his body. Suddenly panicked, she remembered. “We forgot the condom.” Her heart was beating out of her chest, but Phillip remained completely calm.

  “I know. I haven’t been with anyone since I had my last test. I’m clean and I know you’re on the pill.”

  “And how do you know that?” she asked somewhat suspiciously.

  “You and Monica talk about it all the time.” He kissed the top of her head as she made a noise of protest. When he added, “Trust me. I try not to hear. But you girls talk,” she bit him in. He pinched her butt in retaliation but it was worth it. She had felt the honesty of his answer, and it allowed her to relax back in to his arms again.

  After a long while of blissfully lying there with him she tried to get up to go to her room. He tightened his grip. She protested, “Phillip, I have to get ready for bed.”

  Sleepily, he mumbled, “You’re in bed.”

  “No, I mean I need to wash my face and get cleaned up and ready for bed.” He reluctantly let her up, but before she could find her own clothes he pulled his t-shirt over her head. Handing her his boxers, he said” Wear this.” Then he pulled his jeans on commando style. Guess he was coming, too.

  They went down the stairs together quietly, but found Jacob waiting in the kitchen. His grin left no doubt he had heard them and found no surprised at the state of their dress.

  He tossed Elena a water bottle that she caught while looking back at Phillip. She had Sensed a wave of satisfaction and possessiveness rolling off of Phillip. Though when she looked back at him, he was only grinning at her as he followed her in to her room.

  “Thought you might need this water, Elena. You gotta be thirsty after all that yelling.” Jacob called out to her.

  “This from the guy who threw a concert complete with stadium cheering the other night?” she teased back at him.

  He shook his own water bottle. “Why do think I was down here in the first place?” He smiled as she laughed at him.

  “Where’s Monica?”

  “Sleeping.” He winked at her. And then he took the stairs two at a time.

  Walking in to her room she decided she was grateful for the water. Phillip’s jeans were on the floor, and he was in her bed. He didn’t look sleepy anymore. Lucky her.

  Later in the night, as she was just about to drift asleep lying beside him, she thought over all she had been Sensing. Mostly, it had been pure heat. But threaded throughout, she had felt a jumble of emotions, both tender and fierce, that she didn’t dare put a name to. No secrets, he had said. Sleepily, she murmured, “Phillip, why did you want to go to your room tonight?”

  “Because I plan to keep you, Elena.” He kissed her good night and was fast asleep.

  Chapter 5

  The next week flew by like a blur. Monica was so busy at the doctor’s office. They were close to switching over to computerized notes. Much to her bank account’s relief, they had offered to train her in their new system. Her hours wouldn’t be cut after all, just involve some data processing instead of manual filing. She and Jacob were falling on each other every chance they got. She was seriously getting sleep deprived. He came home so late and she was up so early. Still that body of his was worth losing some sleep over. Sleep deprived and satisfied described her pretty well these days. On the other hand, she did feel like she spent her time waiting for the other shoe to drop. Elena and Phillip were too different in her eyes. Monica had always felt Phillip would drift out of their lives at any time. She had to admit she was majorly biased. Her father had been a music man. He had left her life early. It had been Monica and her mother alone against the world for most of her life. That was probably part of why she was so protective of Elena. She loved her like a sister and didn’t want to lose her again. The house just hadn’t been right with Elena gone. Plus, Elena gave so much of herself to others. In Monica’s opinion, that was a risky way to live. Still, she admired Elena for that bit of courage. After she came back from studying abroad, Monica had thought Elena would be jaded. But that is a word that Monica still could never apply to Elena. Somehow, Elena had come back stronger. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t stop watching Phillip like a hawk. She liked him. A lot even. But her loyalty was to Elena.

  Jacob had spent the week in bliss. Monica had a rocking body. She had come to the bar to visit him twice. Each time just dropping by, she never stayed long. He watched the guys at the bar watching her, and his usual smile grew exponentially. Plenty of guys there wishing and hoping, but he was the one making her cry out at night. As often as I can had become his motto. But, between the gym, the bar, and giving his mattress springs a work out, he was falling behind in his classes. Enjoying every minute of it, but still falling behind. He wasn’t going to tend bar all his life, so he knew he needed to cut the shit. He wanted his business management degree. Didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy himself along the way, and he was looking forward to this weekend. Tips should be good with Phillip and his new band playing. Jacob thought they sounded good, but Phillip was the one with the real talent. The new bartender, Nathaniel, said he had a friend in the music business that would be in town. Said she was coming to the show. Jacob thought he might be more pumped about it than Phillip. Guess Phillip was too wrapped up in Elena. Couldn’t blame the guy. Good for him and good for Elena – she needed it and it sounded like his boy was providin’. Yeah, this week had been bliss at the casa.

  The next week passed with the roommates falling in to the usual routines but with the addition of some pairing off. While no one was over the top with the public display, no one was really hiding anything either. There had been some near misses that had all the roommates making a lot of noise any time they entered the house. Phillip had taken to calling out when he came home. He had no wish to see Jacob’s naked butt again. Overall, life had settled back to normal in the house with everyone juggling their own busy schedule. Phillip was tied up practicing with a new band. They had been looking for a front man. He would go with it for now. They had some gigs coming up over the weekend and needed some time to mesh. The bar had requested cover songs, so they were spending time agreeing on a line up. He wasn’t home nearly as much as he wanted to be. Wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Trying to get Elena to sit still was a waste of time. As he wasn’t in to wasting his time, it was a good thing he was creative. He had made good use of the time they had been home together. Like when Elena insisted he study for his History test. She even offered to help him review his notes. He had taken her up on that. She had asked him how he studied best. Did he learn better visually or auditorily? Having never given that a moment’s thought in his life, he had not hesitated to ask her to read his notes out loud. Claiming that would help him the most. They had been laying in her bed - her lengthwise, him sideways. She had started
reading and he started kissing along her sweet hip bones. He made sure he could repeat every word she read so she couldn’t call foul. “Read,” he told her, more than once. And he would start again when she read. By the time he went down on her she was ready to forget studying. Not Phillip. “Come on, Elena. You know by now how we play this game.” She finally figured he was pacing his tongue with how fast she read. She started flying through pages, all out of breath. He did cut her some slack. He was certain there was no Oh, God, Phillip, or I can’t, don’t stop anywhere in his notes. He had always enjoyed that playfulness with Elena. That had been his one and only hesitation. He had not wanted to lose the teasing and joking friendship that he had with her. In the past, Phillip had had many girls who were friends, both before and after dating them. True, some girls couldn’t handle a friendship after breaking up. To Phillip’s thinking, he was the same person before and after they dated. He wouldn’t play into any of the drama. Phillip just moved on. But ‘moving on’ and Elena didn’t belong in the same sentence. He had stopped himself twice before kissing her that night on her birthday. Hesitated. Very unlike him. Phillip wasn’t the type to over think things, but he also wasn’t reckless. He made a decision and accepted the consequences. This time though, he had been holding back for months. All because he had worried about her as a friend. Now he wished he had kissed her sooner. Their teasing had only become so much more fun.