One True Thing

by Lynne Jaymes

  “You awake?” Jenna whispers.

  “Yeah,” I say, sitting up on the couch.

  “Come with me,” she says, holding out one hand and pulling me to my feet. She’s got something rolled up under her arm and we pick our way carefully through the darkened house and out through the screen porch.

  “Where are we going?” I whisper, catching sight of her tiny flannel shorts and flimsy camisole in the backyard light. I can see the soft swell of her ass peeking out of the shorts as she walks so I look away and try to think of something besides the fact we’re alone in the dark on a warm Texas night.

  “You’ll see,” she whispers, reaching over and flipping off the outside lights as my bare feet hit the cool, soft grass. I’m wearing gray sweatpants and nothing else—the night is so nice it doesn’t matter.

  There are no streetlights in this part of town, so it’s pretty pitch black out here, but I can see the dark shape of the big backyard tree looming in front of us.

  “Hold this,” Jenna says, handing me the rolled up sleeping bag as she walks to the backside of the tree and starts climbing on the thin wooden rungs.

  “Up the tree?”

  She looks down at me from fifteen feet up. “What? Are you scared?”

  “No.” I’m not a huge fan of heights, but scared isn’t the word I’d use here. Confused. Apprehensive. Totally turned on. All of those would apply. I watch as she disappears onto the wooden platform, then her head pops over the edge.

  “Throw that up and start climbing.”

  I toss the bag up to her and climb the ladder, my feet slipping a couple of times on the tiny rungs. By the time I make it to the platform, Jenna has the sleeping bag unzipped and spread out over the floor of the tree house. “What are we doing?” I laugh a little, but at this point I’m seriously not sure I want to start something with her up here. I might not be able to stop.

  She shrugs in the darkness. “I just thought you might want some fresh air.” Jenna reaches over and unties a rope and a mosquito net drops down over the inside from a high point in the ceiling like a see-through tent. It’s not so much a tree house as a wooden platform with half-sides and a roof. The top walls are all open and you can see all over the neighborhood from up here.

  “This is cool,” I say, still not entirely sure what she has in mind. I flop down on the sleeping bag and look around the little room high in the sky. “Gramps built this?”

  “We both did,” she says proudly, pointing to the sky that’s visible through the trees. “There’s your stars.”

  I lie back and look at the stars, no sound but the wind rustling through the leaves. “Still beautiful.”

  “It is,” she says, settling in next to me, the warmth from her body making my skin tingle. We’re entering dangerous territory now, but I’m feeling reckless.

  I turn over and prop myself on one elbow. “I wasn’t talking about the sky.”

  I can feel her smile in the faint moonlight, so I bend toward her, finding her lips and pulling her toward me as I kiss her. Jenna’s tongue pushes past my lips as she rolls on top of me, straddling my stomach with her bare legs. Sitting up straight, she crosses her arms and pulls off her top in one motion, her long hair falling over her perfect, bare breasts.

  I reach up and run one finger down her chest, her nipples already hard as I cup them in my hands. Jenna watches me, her fingers lightly exploring my stomach, and bends to take one of my nipples in her mouth. I groan and squirm a little as her tongue flicks my skin—there is no way to lie still and be good with her warm, moist breath on me. I hold both of her arms and she stops, looking down at me.

  “What are we doing here?” I ask, fully conscious of the darkness, of the fact that we’re up here alone with the breeze rustling through the trees and the stars overhead. “I thought we were taking it slow.”

  “I think,” she says, bending over me again, her tongue moving over one nipple and then tracing a trail across my chest to the other. “That slow is overrated.”

  I can feel my breath coming shallow as I fight for control. There’s nothing I want more than to explore all of her, but I don’t want to be back where we were after last time. “Are you sure?”

  Jenna lifts her body off mine enough to get one hand on my sweats, stroking the length of my cock through the fabric. “Positive.”

  That’s all I need to hear. I hook two fingers over the waistband of her shorts and ease them down over her thighs until she can kick them off, running one hand over the swell of her firm ass and into the warmth between her thighs.

  Gently, I roll her over until I’m on top, looking down at her. She looks beautiful, spread out on the sleeping bag wearing nothing but her black lace panties. My lips find her nipple, already as hard as a button on the firm swell of her breast, and I drink in the scent of her as I work my way down her body one inch of perfect milky skin at a time. Her panties are already wet when I run my tongue over them, tasting the salt and sea and hearing her moan as I work the folds through the thin fabric. I run one hand down her thigh and trace the edge of the elastic with my finger before pulling her legs together and easing the lace off of her body and onto the tree house floor. I can feel her eyes on me as I run one hand over her smooth leg trying to make this moment last as long as possible. I put both hands on her inner thighs and ease them open, running my fingers up her stomach as I settle in between them, tasting her skin for the first time. I feel her muscles tense, but her legs drop open as I dart into her with my tongue and then find the perfect spot, the one that makes her body arch up to reach me as I suck and lick until I feel her hands on me head, her fingers raking my scalp. I pull back a little and I can hear her breath coming in short bursts. She’s soaking wet as I ease three fingers into the warmth of her body, her muscles pushing back against me as my tongue finds its rhythm. It doesn’t take long as I press into her with my hand and her body ripples and contracts against my fingers, my lips pressed against her clit as she bucks and moans while she comes with a ferocious shudder.

  “Oh my God,” she gasps, as I pull myself up alongside her. “That was amazing.”

  “I’m glad,” I say. Even in the darkness I can see the flush of color on her cheeks. It feels as if her body is a white-hot star next to mine.

  “Now it’s your turn.” Jenna presses my shoulders against the sleeping bag, pulling the sweats off my legs in one fluid motion, and I inhale as my hard-on is released to the night air. Naked, she straddles me, bending down to lick the head of my cock as it twitches in response to her touch. The heat from her breath and the sensation of her lips around me is almost unbearable as she takes me in her mouth. Just when I’m almost to the point where I can’t hold on any longer, I feel her pull away from me.

  “Wait,” Jenna says, reaching over to grab her shorts. I hear the crinkling of the wrapper as she pulls a condom from her pocket, opens it and rolls it down onto me. “I want to feel you inside of me,” she says, kneeling over me and stroking my hardness with her finger.

  I grab her hips with both hands as she hovers over me, almost losing it completely as I start to enter her. I want to feel her so badly, want to bury myself in as deep as I can go. She’s tight and I force myself not to push too fast as she settles on me, rocking a little in order to take in as much as she can. The sensation of her surrounding me is almost blinding, but I take one hand off her hip and place it where our bodies meet, my thumb on the ridge of her clit as she moans, telling me I hit the right spot. I can hear the wood of the platform creaking as we get into a rhythm, Jenna rocking above me, her hair loose in front, almost brushing my chest. Her breathing becomes sharp and short and I hold on as long as I can, rubbing her clit as she writhes above me, riding me over the edge, her head tilted back and a moan escaping as she comes with a full-body shudder. I follow her a few seconds later, holding her body still with both hands as the wave rolls through me and explodes inside of her.

  My heart is pounding in my chest as she bends down and kisses me, wiping the sweat f
rom around my hairline with her delicate fingers. I groan as she lifts herself off me and I slide out of her, aware of the night air on my body as I roll over and dispose of the condom. Jenna tucks her body under my arm, her head in the hollow of my chest and one leg between my thighs as if she was built the perfect size, just for me. I reach up and grab her hand, lacing her fingers through mine. I could stay here forever, the warm Texas air brushing our skin as our heartbeats slow and our eyes get heavy and we lie naked in her tree house under the star-filled sky.

  Chapter Fourteen (Jenna)

  There’s a hint of grey in the sky overhead when I open my eyes. The air has cooled in the early morning and my hands are cold, in contrast to the warmth of my body where I’m still wrapped up in Ty’s arms. His fingers hold mine loosely in sleep, his strong beautiful hands relaxed and his body even more breathtaking in the light of dawn. Images from last night flash through my mind, but without the dread I felt the last time I woke up next to Ty. This feels right. We’re not going to end up like before. Right?

  Ty must feel me watching him because his eyelashes flutter and then his green eyes focus on me. “Good morning,” he says with a smile, pulling me more tightly to him. I feel a rush of relief flood through my body, pushing out the tension that I didn’t even know I was carrying. No second thoughts, no rushing out. Ty’s glad to see me here in his arms.

  “Morning,” is all I say.

  “God you’re beautiful,” he says, brushing one hand lightly down my thigh. “I say that too much, don’t I?”

  I shake my head. “Not like I’m going to get tired of hearing it.”

  Ty stretches, his taught stomach arching up toward me. There’s no mistaking his hard-on, so I let my hand wander in that direction.

  “You sure you want to do that?” he asks.

  “Yes,” I say, kissing him deeply while running my hand up his thigh.

  He closes his eyes and moans softly. “Did you bring more supplies?”

  I glance over at the torn condom wrapper. “No. Just the one.”

  “Not very optimistic were you?” He laughs. “That’s okay,” he says, grabbing my hand and kissing my palm. “We can continue this particular conversation another time.”

  “We don’t have to,” I say slowly, not wanting to stop. Suddenly I want to feel him inside of me again, with no barriers. Skin to skin. “I’ve been on the pill since I was sixteen. And after Jake…let’s just say I got tested for everything possible.” It’s amazing how easy it is to talk to him about this.

  I can see him considering. “I’m clean too,” he says. “My last girlfriend insisted on getting tested.” Ty leans his body close and presses his lips to mine. “It’s your call.”

  Instead of answering, I reach for him and he’s already rock hard. Ty lets me stroke him for a few seconds before moving himself out of range, running his tongue down my stomach and kissing each of my inner thighs as my legs fall open. I’m so ready for him, but he takes it slowly, covering my body with kisses before focusing on my clit, parting my folds gently with his tongue, making slow circular motions that set my entire body on fire. He slides two fingers inside of me as his tongue works the outside and the pleasure builds so strongly that I pull away a little bit and he looks up at me, a question in his eyes. I want to come with him inside me, to feel his skin moving against mine. I reach down and guide him into me, watching as Ty’s strong arms hold himself above my body. His eyes lock on mine as he exhales and pushes himself into me, inch by inch until I’m full with him and wrap my legs around his as he begins to move, slowly at first and then faster and faster. I arch up to press myself against him, gasping as I hit just the right spot, the intensity building as we grind against each other. His green eyes are on mine, his nostrils flaring as he fights for control and as soon as he sees that I’m losing it, he lets go too and we come together, pressing our bodies as close as they can possibly get until the tremors subside. Ty collapses on top of me, but he doesn’t pull out, not for a few minutes, until he groans and rolls over next to me on the sleeping bag.

  “Damn, girl,” he says in a fake Texas accent. He brushes the hair off my face. “I could do this every day.”

  “Play your cards right and you can,” I say with a grin.

  “I plan to,” he says, leaning over and covering my neck with kisses until I squeal. This whole night has felt so right, so perfect. It feels like we’ve known each other forever, that I can trust him with anything. Moment by moment I feel the lingering effects of Jake slipping away.

  We lie there for a little while longer, feeling the morning heat up as the sun starts to rise in the sky. I explore every inch of his body with my fingertips in the growing light, amazed that all of this is mine, that I can touch him and hold him whenever I want. I run my fingers through his hair, still only about an inch or so, but longer than I’ve ever seen it. “You ever think of growing it out?” I ask.

  “Nah,” he says. “It gives me hat-head when it’s any longer than this.”

  I touch the end of a strand where it curls over my finger, lighter blond at the tip and darker at the ends. “It looks curly. Do you have curly hair?” It’s funny that we’ve spent the entire night naked together, but I don’t even know this about him.

  “Yep. Crazy curly. I grew it long once when I was a little kid. Not so much long as big because it just stood out from my head. It was even lighter back then so I looked like a giant dandelion.”

  I can almost imagine him with long curly blond hair. “I wish I could have seen that. Do you have any pictures of the white-boy afro?”

  Ty looks away from me. “No. I didn’t bring much with me when I transferred here.”

  “Maybe you can get your dad to send you some.” I wonder if it’s hard for him to look at photos with his mom gone.

  “Maybe,” he says. His stomach growls loudly enough for me to hear.

  “Breakfast?” I ask.

  “I’d love some,” he says, kissing me lightly on the neck. “I seem to have worked up quite an appetite.”

  We quickly throw our clothes on and pick our way back down the ladder. The house is still quiet when we creep into the kitchen and the clock says 7:35. I put on some coffee and get out the eggs while Ty sits at the table watching me until I get a little self-conscious.

  “What?” I ask, cracking the eggs in a bowl.

  “Nothing,” he says. “I just like watching you. Is that okay?”

  “I guess so,” I say, turning away with a smile.

  “I thought I smelled breakfast,” Mom says, walking into the kitchen in her robe and slippers. She yawns and pours herself a cup of coffee before leaning against the sink and turning to us. “You two are up awfully early. What’s the matter? Didn’t sleep well?”

  “No ma’am,” Ty says, his eyes smiling, but his face serious. “I slept great. Just great”

  I hide my grin under my hair as I stir the eggs in the pan.

  

  “Goodbye Gram,” I say, giving her a hug and inhaling her warm powdery smell.

  “I can’t believe you’re off already,” she says. “Let me fix you up some chicken for the road. There’s plenty left.”

  “Don’t go to any trouble,” Ty says, although I know he liked it because he must have had half a dozen pieces last night.

  “No trouble at all,” Gram says, walking back into the kitchen.

  “You have all your bags?” Mom says. “I put in a couple of books I read recently that I thought you’d like.”

  “Thanks,” I say.

  “Godammit!” Gramps yells as the screen door slams on the porch. “Jean…Kat, did you know anything about this?”

  Mom rolls her eyes at me but I feel a moment of panic. Did someone see us up in the tree house? I wouldn’t put it past the neighbors to call Gramps and rat us out. Gram walks in from the kitchen just as he stomps into the dining room waving his cell phone.

  “For goodness sake Jed,” Gram says. “What on earth has got you so riled up?”

&
nbsp; Gramps slams his cowboy hat down on the table. “That damn Earl Ryan has really done us in this time,” he says. I relax a little. At least it has nothing to do with me.

  “I can’t believe that a fellow lodge member would do something so no-account—”

  “What already?” Mom breaks in. “What is so awful that you’re all up in here yelling loud enough to wake the dead?”

  Gramps collapses into his recliner and fans himself with a magazine. “I knew I couldn’t trust him any farther than I could throw him. Always had that shifty look in his eye. Do you know what he up and did?”

  “Oh for goodness sake…” Mom says.

  “Earl Ryan up and sold the Barnes place…to colored!” Gramps said.

  “Oh Jed,” Gram says, pressing her hand to her mouth like she’s just been witness to a tragedy. “Let me get you a nice cold beer. Help you think better.” She disappears into the kitchen.

  “Do you have any idea what this means?” Gramps demands. “Property values dropping all over the place, who knows what-all going on right next-door at all hours of the night? All you need is one, then we’ll get their cousins moving in across the street and soon this whole side of town will be overrun with colored.”

  “I’ve told you a million times, no one has been called ‘colored’ since sometime in the 1950s,” Mom says. I can see her jaw clenching on the side of her cheek. “We elected an African American president for God’s sake. Let me introduce you to the new millennium Dad.”

  “That boy is half-white,” Gramps argues, shifting in his chair. “And at least he had the sense not to go around acting colored.”

  I glance at Ty, but he’s staring at Gramps with a look on his face I can’t read. He’s been warned about Gramps, but it’s something else to see him in his glory and I worry about what he’s going to think about him. About all of us.

  “I didn’t hear you talking about his white half while he was trying to get elected,” Mom says.