by E. L. Todd
“I submitted my resume to a few places in New York…”
“Yeah?” My eyes watched her mouth, entranced by the movement of her lips.
“I hope I get a call back or something. I’d even take an unpaid internship at this point.”
“Be careful for what you wish for.”
She chuckled. “I know everyone has to start at the bottom and work their way up. I have long nails and I’m not afraid to use them to get to the top.”
“Was that the first line of your CV?”
She slapped my arm playfully. “Shut up.”
“Hey, it would have caught my attention. I’d hire you in the spot.”
“Maybe if I flashed you.”
“If you flashed me you’d be the CEO—under me.” My hand moved up her thigh until it rested on her hip. I felt the lace of her panties and fought myself not to pull them down. She had the sexiest body I’d ever seen.
“Ooh…I wouldn’t mind being under you.”
“Again, be careful for what you wish for.” I pressed our heads together then gave her a slow kiss. I’d never been in this type of relationship before, where it was all talking and no sex. I wasn’t getting laid but I was still there. When I was alone my eyes didn’t wander, and when I was in my apartment I didn’t rub one out. Marie satisfied me in a way no one else ever did. She satisfied my soul. “I’m gonna tell her tomorrow.”
“You are?”
“Yeah.” My fingers felt her hair, noting the soft texture. “You’re my girlfriend and I want the world to know.”
Progress
Axel
Francesca walked inside with her backpack over her shoulder. “I have some good news.”
“You aced your biology lab practical?” I just finished packing the refrigerator with groceries.
“No…I failed that.” She set her backpack on the kitchen table next to the bowl of fruit in the center. “I talked to my manager and got my job back. I’ll be back at The Grind starting tomorrow.”
I didn’t mind paying her bills until she graduated but now wasn’t the time to push it. If she was well enough to work again then that was awesome news. “Great. The Grind is lucky to have you.”
“I’ll pay you back for everything but it may take a while.” She opened the fridge and grabbed a snack pudding. After she ripped off the foil she sat down and devoured it.
I stopped myself from jumping in joy. Seeing her have an appetite was even better news. “You don’t need to pay me back.”
“I insist, Axel.”
“Well, I insist harder.” I took a seat beside her. “I didn’t mind helping you. One day I’m going to need your help and you’ll be there for me.”
She licked the spoon then looked at me. “I guess that’s true.”
I eyed my watch because I knew Marie would be home any minute. I was going to tell Francesca about us and get it over with. If my sister had a problem with it, that was too bad. Marie was a catch and I wasn’t going to let her go.
“It’s fine that you hang out here but you don’t need to keep an eye on me anymore.” Francesca finished the pudding and balanced the curve of the spoon on the end of her nose.
She would understand why I was there soon enough.
The door opened and Marie walked inside, wearing black pants and a shirt after getting off work at The Grind. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Francesca turned to her, the spoon still on her nose. “I got my job back.”
“I heard.” She patted her on the shoulder. “Good for you. And nice job with the spoon.” She came to me next and automatically leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. Then she realized what she was doing and how odd it looked. Nonchalantly, she wiped off the invisible dirt from my shoulder. “You had a smudge…” She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. “I need alcohol after serving coffee all day.”
“I need alcohol after everything,” I said.
She grabbed a beer from the fridge and passed it to me. Then she took a seat across the table. Her shirt was wrinkled and her hair was pulled back, but she still looked perfect. I wanted to shower with her and lather her until she was clean.
“How was school?” Marie sat down and directed all of her attention on Francesca. “Did you nail that practical?”
“I nailed the coffin, you could say.” The spoon fell off her nose and hit the surface of the table.
Marie cringed. “Sorry…”
“It’s okay. I think I’ll still pass the class.” She picked up her spoon and kept eating.
“That was just on your nose…” I wasn’t a germ-a-phob but that that was gross.
She shrugged and kept eating.
I looked across the table and stared at Marie. Silently, I told her I was going to spill the beans. Whatever happened, happened.
Marie didn’t put up a fight but she didn’t seem thrilled either.
“Frankie, there’s something I want to talk about.” Maybe it was insensitive for me to be a couple with Marie when Francesca was still struggling over Hawke’s absence but I couldn’t stop living my life to accommodate her. How could I give this relationship a real chance if it was a secret?
“What’s up?” She finished her snack pack and set the spoon inside the empty carton.
“I know this is awkward for all three of us but there’s something you need to know about Marie and I…”
Francesca’s expression didn’t change. She didn’t catch my drift.
“Marie and I are together now,” I said. “We’re seeing each other.”
She immediately turned to Marie. “Whoa, what?”
Marie nodded in response.
“It’s been going on for a while now,” I continued. “And we don’t want to hide it from you. I know you’ll be weird about it and object but nothing you say is going to change what’s going on between us. I’m just giving you a heads up.”
Francesca turned back to me. “Why would I object to it?”
“Because you have a problem with it.” I didn’t like Hawke dating her one bit and I made that clear.
“But I don’t have a problem with it,” Francesca said. “If you want to be together, be together. Who should care what anyone thinks anyway.”
What? It was that easy?
“However…” Francesca turned back to Marie. “Axel? Really?”
My eyes narrowed at the insult.
Marie didn’t give Francesca a look of apology. Actually, she smiled. “Yes.”
“He doesn’t know his nose from his ass, Marie,” Francesca said. “He’s probably going to drive you crazy.”
“Actually, he’s the biggest sweetheart I’ve ever met.” Marie glanced at me before she turned back to Francesca. “He’s different with me. He’s thoughtful and kind, and there’s so much more below the surface. It’s not a meaningless fling. I wouldn’t say it’s serious but it’s definitely not casual either.”
Francesca digested everything, taking it in slowly. Instead of flipping out the way I did she remained calm. She eyed both of us before she shrugged. “If you’re both happy, I’m happy.”
Marie smiled. “I’m glad you’re on board.”
Francesca turned to me, but she didn’t give me the same smile Marie just got. “Mess with my girl and I’ll stab you in the nuts.”
The insult hit me right in the chest. “We don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Good.” Francesca rose from the table and returned to the fridge. She peered inside as she tried to find something to eat. “I’m still hungry. Anything else good in here?”
***
I knocked on the door with a bouquet of roses in my hand. It was the first time I ever bought a girl flowers. The stems had thorns and I was careful not to touch them.
Marie opened the door wearing shorts and a t-shirt as I instructed. Her eyes took in the flowers, and her face lit up like she was truly surprised. “Awe…they’re lovely.”
“For my lady.”
She carried them inside and prepare
d a vase to place them in.
Francesca was sitting on the couch painting her nails. She looked up when she saw me. “Wow, is that Axel?”
“Shut up, brat.” We were definitely staying at my place tonight so we wouldn’t have to deal with her.
Marie grabbed her jacket and her purse. “I’m ready to go.”
“Great.” I took her hand and walked out with her. Once the door was shut behind us it was just she and I.
“So, where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
***
We walked onto the dock and set our kayaks in the water. The water was calm and there wasn’t a single ripple on the surface. The sound of crickets and frogs accompanied us. I held a bright lantern so we wouldn’t be enveloped in the darkness.
“What are we doing?”
I placed the life jacket on her. “Kayaking.”
“It’s pitch black.”
“Don’t worry. I know the area.”
“Uh…” She looked around, spooked by the forest.
“Trust me. It’ll be worth it.”
Marie tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.
I put my lifejacket on then held onto the kayak so she could step inside. I kept it steady so she wouldn’t spill any water into the kayak. I got into the spot behind her and held the lantern between my knees. “Ready?”
She grabbed the oar like she didn’t know what to do with it.
“Just rest it on your knees. I’ll row.” I guided us away from the dark and toward the center of the lake. The water was partly freshwater and partly seawater because a channel connected with the sea. Sometimes sea creatures could be spotted underneath the water, like sea turtles and small sharks.
Marie kept her hands on her knees as she searched the darkness. “What are you going to show me?”
“You’ll know when you see it.” I stopped pedaling when we were far enough into the lake. We floated on the water silently, taking in the sounds of the nightlife. I stuck my oar in the water and did a dramatic scoop.
Marie watched my movements.
I moved to the other side of the kayak and did the same thing.
“What are we looking for?”
“Shh…” I kept hitting the water, hoping to find the right place.
And then I did.
The bioluminescent phytoplankton lit up brightly, shining the blue light directly onto our faces. The water lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Oh my god…” Marie gripped the side of the boat as she stared into the water.
The microorganisms glowed, releasing their defense mechanism. And then slowly, the light faded away.
“That’s so amazing. What is that?”
“The phytoplankton drift from the sea. When they’re disturbed they glow.”
“Like in Life of Pi?”
“Exactly.”
She used her own oar to churn the water, making the organisms light up once more. “Wow…”
Instead of staring at nature’s miracle I stared at her. I could see her face in the light of the glow, and the smile on her face made the trek here worthwhile. Her excitement was infectious, and she reminded me of a child discovering something fascinating for the very first time.
“My father and I used to come out here—just he and I.”
She pulled her eyes away from the water and looked at me.
“I’ve never been here with anyone else, not even Frankie.”
She gripped the oar in her hands and didn’t stir the water again. “Thanks for sharing it with me.”
“I wanted our first date to be perfect.”
“It is.”
When she gave me a look like that I felt hot all over the place. Anytime I was in her presence the joy inside me radiated everywhere. I was rejuvenated with hope and happiness. All the darkness that lived inside me seemed to fade away when she brought the light.
***
When we returned to my apartment we both needed a shower before anything else. The lake water was drenched into our clothes, and the smell was stuck to our skin. I turned on the shower then stripped away my clothes.
She did the same.
I hadn’t seen her completely naked in nearly three months. My dick got hard just thinking about it, waiting for her bare skin to meet my eyes. Those legs stretched on for days, and I remembered the way she tasted. It was impossible to forget.
She unzipped her jacket and tossed it on the floor next to the pile I made. Then she removed everything else, her top and her shorts. When she got to her undergarments she took her time, unclasping her bra then stepping out of her panties.
She was even more beautiful than I remember.
I felt like I was staring at a completely different woman. The one I saw before was beautiful, sexy, and perfect. But the woman I saw now was…different. There were small freckles up and down her arms, and a scar on her right knee. Her toenails were painted green and there were small tan lines on her shoulders and thighs. All the details flooded my brain, overloading it.
Now that we were together I didn’t know what to do. Even now I didn’t want to screw her. I used to long for dirty sex, the hard kind that happened in bathroom stalls and the backseats of cars.
But now I didn’t want any of that.
Marie stared at me, expecting me to make the first move. The shower still ran, filling the bathroom with humid steam. The mutual desire to get clean left our minds in light of each other.
I grabbed my boxers and pulled them down, revealing my long cock. It was thick and swollen for her. It was a reaction I couldn’t hide and I wasn’t ashamed of it. She turned me on like nothing else.
Her eyes moved to my waist, staring at my size. She’d already seen me before but now she was looking at me in a new way. She studied me like I was a work of art. Her lips parted slightly like she might say something but no words ever left her lips.
She and I had a way of communicating with each other without the use of words. We reacted to each other subtly, playing off each other’s moves and moods. Right now I could feel everything she felt.
Because it was exactly what I felt.
Marie took the first step and headed to the shower. She paused in front of the door and looked at me over her shoulder, her blonde hair falling down to her chest. Her green eyes lit up like the north side of trees. Then she stepped inside and stood under the water.
I followed her immediately, crowding behind her in the narrow stall. My shower was made for a single person, but she and I could make it work.
She titlted her head back toward the water and massaged the shampoo into her scalp. Her back naturally arched, her tits lifting toward the ceiling. Her nipples were hard, and not because they were cold. The water ran down her face and pooled at her lips before it fell again.
Entranced, I just stood there.
After Marie rinsed her hair she grabbed a bar of soap and rubbed it into my chest. She worked the bubbles everywhere, dissolving every particle of dirt. Her eyes were glued to her hands, watching them work my body.
I watched her every move, noting the way her tits shook when she used her hands. She was nearly a foot shorter than me but she didn’t seem small. Her legs were deceptively long, giving her the height of a supermodel without the inches.
Now I wanted to wash her, to explore every inch of her body without holding back. I wanted to feel her curvy waist and her voluptuous tits. My cock was still hard and pressed against my stomach and her rib cage. Feeling her smooth skin and the warm water was getting him even more excited. I’d never wanted to be with a woman more in my life. I already had her, and even my excitement then didn’t compare to what it was now.
Unable to keep my hands to myself I cupped her tits and massaged them, feeling the soap bubbles in my fingers. They were firm and round, perfect for gripping. They were large for her petite size but that made their appearance even sexier.
My hands glided down her stomach, feeling her flat belly. Her navel was sexy and small. My thumb ca
ressed the area before my hands moved to her hips, gripping the curves as an anchor. Our mouths and body parts hadn’t touched yet, but this was the greatest foreplay I’d ever had. “You’re the most beautiful woman who’s ever stepped into this apartment.” She made all the others look like trolls.
She didn’t give me a smile but her eyes softened.
I noticed how much I changed in that moment. My life used to be centered on getting laid by as many different women as possible. There were no strings attached, ever. But now I found myself obsessed with a single woman, one that I didn’t want to share with anyone else.
Her palms snaked up my chest until they reached my shoulders. She tilted her chin up, her lips aimed for mine. Even when she stood on her tiptoes I still towered over her. Instead of finding our height differences a challenge, I thought it was cute. I craned my neck down then placed a slow kiss on her mouth. Kissing was so amateur, something I hardly did with the women I spent time with, but I loved doing it with her.
I was aware of every breath she took, how excited she became during our embrace. Sometimes she would release a musical sigh, a distant symphony that made my muscles tighten. When she moaned quietly into my mouth, practically panting, my dick twitched in response. Maybe I loved kissing her because she was so good at it. Or maybe it was a different reason altogether.
***
Our bodies were still damp when we hit my sheets. We dried off as much as possible with the towels but we were both in too much of a hurry to be thorough. I lay on top of her in my bed, kissing her aggressively. Our embrace started off slow but now I couldn’t get enough of her. I couldn’t slow down no matter how hard I tried.
She wrapped her legs around my waist and squeezed me gently. Her moans still echoed in the bedroom, her desire for me equal to the heat I felt for her. We hooked up on this bed months ago and the sex was amazing. But it was a hit-it-and-quit-it situation. This time it would be different. I wanted to treasure every touch and every caress. I actually wanted to feel her body move with mine. I wanted to give her more pleasure than she gave me.
I wanted so much more.
I sucked her bottom lip and felt her tits rub against my chest. They were hard and pointed, giving me a definite amount of friction as our bodies moves past one another. My cock grinded against her folds, feeling the moisture that accumulated there. There wasn’t any doubt she was ready for me, desperate for me.