Constellation
Page 17
Once I held him in my hands, I delighted in the warmth of his skin. He was beautiful to behold—healthy, pink, smooth and vigorous. I couldn’t wait and took him into my mouth. I’d never done this to him, and I lost myself in the passion of pleasing him with my tongue.
His hips lurched enthusiastically forward, and he grasped me by the shoulders. His breath caught, followed by a throaty moan. Encouraged by his lust, I closed my lips tightly around him and worked him more aggressively. Jack panted as he throbbed in my mouth, and I figured, within a matter of several strokes, he would erupt inside me. I craved him and triumphed in Jack’s impending orgasm.
“Kathleen,” he breathed.
I’d never heard anything so erotic.
“God. Hold on. Wait.”
I pulled back, but kept my lips pressed to his tip. I didn’t have the willpower to break our contact.
“I need you,” I confessed against his skin. “I need you so much. Let me do this.”
“You’re amazing, but not right now. Not yet. I need to slow this down. Please.”
Heavy tears rolled down my face as I pulled away. My desire and emotion were one and the same in this intense moment. Over the course of the day I had missed Jack, yearned for his touch, and watched his ire and bravery unfurl in the face of my father, his boss. All I could think about was the sense of fulfillment I had whenever we had sex.
“Kathleen. No. Don’t cry.” He pulled me up into his arms before I could retreat. “Come here. Let me hold you.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and allowed my emotions free rein. I cried hard in his embrace, indulging in the relief brought on by the release. “Don’t leave me.”
His arms wrapped around my back and pulled me even tighter against him. “I’m here. I have you.”
“I need you.”
“I need you, too, but there’s been too much intensity today. We need to relax. Let me hold you.”
I was highly aroused and shifted in an effort to ease my physical discomfort. The movement proved to be more agonizing and I inhaled in surprise.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked with nervous concern.
“I’m throbbing.”
“I’m sorry. What can I do?”
“I need you to fuck me, Jack.”
“I want you, Kathleen. I do, but let’s calm things down first.”
He shifted our bodies and lowered me to the sofa. He pulled off my shoes, followed by my skort and the midnight blue thong. He placed his palm between my open legs as he lowered his lips to mine. I squeezed my eyes shut, whimpered and pushed my wild body against his hand.
He kissed me softly once, twice, and then once more. His third kiss lingered on my mouth and his patient tongue sought to subdue my fervent one. Soon, he coaxed me into a tender mood and my body reacted accordingly. After our kiss wound down, I opened my eyes. He was watching me, his eyes sparkling and kind.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, tracing my lower lip with a finger. “Don’t move. I’m coming right back.”
“Okay.”
Jack removed his hand from between my legs, stood up and adjusted himself back into his clothes before exiting the living room.
He stepped into the bathroom down the hall just across from my guest room. He opened and closed several cupboards before the faucet turned on. The water ran for a short time before it turned off again, and Jack reemerged, carrying a wet washcloth.
He lifted my calves and elegantly sat down on the couch, guiding my feet to rest on his lap. He then reached between my thighs with the washcloth and rested it against me. The wet heat of the towel made contact with my delicate aching skin, delivering relief for the pain. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the treatment and the pressure of Jack’s hand holding the cloth in place.
“Did I get the temperature right?” Jack’s voice was quiet and tranquil.
“Yes. You always do. You have a talent for it.”
He smiled and began to caress my knee with his other hand. “Good. Let me know when I need to warm it again.”
We sat for a few minutes and when the washcloth began to cool, Jack didn’t wait for my instruction. He returned to the bathroom and ran it under the hot water one more time before returning for a second round of treatment as he pressed the warm cotton against my sex.
“Why did Robert make that remark about your virginity?”
Jack’s care of me had been affectionate and soothing, so I didn’t hesitate with my answer.
“I was in high school when it happened. He wasn’t happy.”
He tilted his head toward me. “You’re hardly the first person to lose their virginity in high school.”
“How old were you?” I asked.
He blushed and said, “My answer won’t prove my point. Sorry.”
“No?”
Jack shook his head and looked at my ankles. “I was shy. I didn’t date much.”
I smiled at the thought, inconceivable as it was. “You’re kidding? I assumed the girls would have been all over you.”
Jack laughed solidly, but self-consciously. “No. Not at all.”
“Did you wait until you were in love?”
“No. Just until my loneliness got the better of me. It was in college after my father died.”
“You were nineteen?”
Jack nodded, still unwilling to meet my eyes.
“I was fifteen.”
Jack looked at me with consideration, and I knew he was replaying more of the heated exchange from Widgi Creek.
“That’s what Robert meant back in the lounge? About you acting like a fifteen-year-old?”
“I suppose so. Although I wouldn’t say he influenced that particular decision.” It was my turn to break eye contact. I was suddenly fascinated by my own fingers. “I didn’t do it to get back at my father over anything.”
“Were you in love with the boy?”
“No. And I even kind of knew it. But I liked being his girlfriend, and I thought he liked being my boyfriend. The chemistry was there, but I wasn’t interested in teenage pregnancy, so I tried to slow things down after the fact. That’s when I realized he was more interested in the sex than me. We broke up.”
“He’s a moron.”
I laughed. “I figured that out after about ten years. For the longest time, I was fixated on figuring out what I’d done wrong.”
“You did nothing wrong.”
“Tell that to Robert.”
“Kathleen?” Jack waited to speak until he had my full attention.
“Yes?”
“Robert won’t scare me away. I don’t want you to ever worry about that.”
“What about me? Will I scare you away?”
“I don’t think so.” Jack’s fingers drifted away from my knee, proceeding to my inner thigh. “Do you feel better?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry I can’t stay tonight. I don’t like the idea of leaving you here alone.”
“You promised to watch Heide’s friend this weekend. It’s all right.”
“I want to bring you home with me, but I haven’t had a chance to explain things to Lydia yet. It wouldn’t be fair to her or her daughter.”
“Lydia is the soccer mom?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell her about you tonight. We’ll get through this weekend, and then we’ll start making our plans together.”
“Before Heide goes to visit Allison, I want to take you both hiking on Mount Bachelor. I might have already mentioned it to her.”
Jack flashed a brilliant smile. “Perfect. She’d love that.”
“Thank you, Jack”
“For what?”
“For taking such a gigantic risk on me.”
“I’ve never considered you risky, but I understand what you mean. I could easily say the same thing to you.” He removed his hand from the center of my body, and the washcloth crumpled without his support.
Jack lifted my legs from his lap and rose to stand next to his end of the sofa. I watched hi
m with unwavering interest as he removed his clothes. Once he was naked and fully roused, he reached for my hand and pulled me up from the couch. With only my unbuttoned blouse and bra left on my body, undressing me was a matter of formality.
As the last of my clothing hit the floor, he pulled me into his arms, pressing our chests together and capturing my mouth in a sensual, searing kiss. When he pulled back, he looked into my eyes.
“Do you want me here? Or in your bed?”
“Here.”
“Turn around.”
I did as Jack requested. He rested his damp palm on my back and directed me to bend over the arm of the couch with just his touch. He then moved to stand between my legs and carefully tested my flesh with his fingers before entering me from behind.
He held still for a long, delicious moment before pulling back. He moved with great control, pausing only just before he fell away from me. He swept his hands up my back, into my hair, and drifted back down along my sides to glide along my breasts in the process. His fingers settled on my hips, which he grasped with intention.
“I will always be gentle with my touch,” he whispered. “I will always be sincere with my words.”
Jack pushed himself back into me. I moaned from the deliberate pleasure and contentment he offered me, and I trembled when Jack bent over my back to place several warm kisses between my shoulder blades.
“I’ll give you everything you ask of me,” he vowed. “And today you asked me to fuck you. So hold on.”
I seized the cushion nearest to me just as Jack began thrusting into my body. He was strong and focused with his movements, and with each penetration, I was consumed by desire. He moved quickly and deeply with each stroke, hurtling me toward a considerable orgasm. I was losing control while he maintained it. The more I responded to him, the more he performed.
Our position. Our speed. Our slick bodies. Our sounds. All combined, these things should have been interpreted as nothing more than pure carnality, and yet there was much more happening between us. Jack’s every move was devoted to satisfying me—body and soul. I surrendered to him. He lavished me with every bit of pleasure he could offer, and I was as overcome by my gratitude for this man as I was with the ecstasy he was giving me.
Jack was relentless, and over the course of several minutes, I had straightened my legs until I was standing on my tiptoes. My back stretched taut as my orgasm exploded throughout my body, and still Jack found the ability to move even faster. He pushed into me even deeper, and I cried out his name from underneath him each time he did so.
When the thunder in my blood finally receded, I heard Jack’s breathing change. His guarded control was waning, and I reached back to cover his hand with my own to encourage him to enjoy his own release.
He withdrew from my body and the shock of the action jolted me. Before I could react, however, he pulled me up from the sofa and turned me around to face him. Without a word, he swept me into his arms and carried me into the guest room, the master bedroom evidently too far away. He set me down on my feet at the side of the bed, and together we lowered ourselves onto the mattress, facing one another as Jack entered me once again. I held him as close to me as possible, alternating between kissing his neck and voicing my praise in his ear.
We soon achieved a fierce and wild rhythm, committed to reaching Jack’s climax, and as he began to come, he stilled my efforts by collapsing on top of me. He shuddered within me numerous times as I tightened my legs around his hips. He was breathless with his exertion when he withdrew from me one last time and kissed my forehead before rolling to my side.
I turned to Jack and waited until he’d caught his breath before I said, “I’m going to start a shower for you, but you’ll need to use the master bathroom.”
“Why?”
I kissed his lips and ran my fingers through his damp hair. “Because it’s my turn to look after you, and it’s the only shower big enough for the both of us.”
DESPITE JACK’S declarations to the contrary, finding time to spend with one another over the next two weeks proved elusive. However, I didn’t mind the reason why.
School had let out for the summer, which meant Heide would soon be leaving to spend two months in Baltimore. The upcoming weekend would be her last in Oregon before traveling back East. Although Jack would miss her terribly, he knew it was much-needed quality time for mother and daughter.
Jack and Heide would only spend a few days of her summer vacation together, so Jack took time off from work to make the most of it. He kept in touch with me during the day by texting photos of their adventures together. In one of our late night phone conversations, Jack and I solidified plans for the upcoming weekend and were both excited to surprise his daughter with a day trip to the mountains.
With Jack away from work and me spending the evenings back at my condo, I experienced bouts of loneliness, but I was careful not to wallow in it. My temporary displeasure was nothing compared with the impeding separation Jack was about to endure.
I was content with the progress of our romance and embraced the opportunity to look after Jack as he adjusted to having his daughter on the other side of the country. I was also determined to do something positive with my downtime, and Jack’s absence from the office provided me with an unexpected opportunity.
After Robert had stormed away from us at Widgi Creek, I began contemplating ways to mend the fences. I was tired of our arguments and concerned about subjecting the Evans family to our tumultuous relationship. I wasn’t certain if Robert would ever commit to improving things between us. One way to know for sure was to extend the olive branch and gauge his receptiveness.
I tested my initial attempts with caution. Starting the Monday after the eruption in the clubhouse, I stopped by Robert’s office for a hello or two during the day. I never lingered. I paused long enough to say hello and ask how things were going. He received my greetings with equal reserve, but never sent me away.
After a week, I took a calculated risk and asked my father about tagging along to another golf game, perhaps even with just the two of us.
“Perhaps,” he said.
I acknowledged this with a nod before returning to my work.
I progressed through another few days, securing the building blocks for a longer conversation with Robert. Before I knew it, Jack’s vacation time had wound down. With him set to return to work the following morning, the time to achieve my short-term goal was running out. Near the end of the day, I approached Robert’s office and paused in the doorway.
“Hi,” I began, holding onto the doorframe for support.
“Hey,” he answered.
“How did your afternoon go?”
Robert sat back and pointed to the laptop sitting on his desk. “Working my way through e-mails.” He frowned. “I’d rather be out there golfing.”
“Are you busy? Should I leave you alone?”
He shook his head. “I could use a break.”
“I was thinking of going next door for a smoothie. Do you want to join me?”
Robert’s jaw began to drop open, but then he caught himself. My invitation was something he wasn’t expecting.
“Yeah. Okay. Sure.” He rose up from this seat with awkward immediacy in case I reconsidered.
As we exited the building, my mind whirled. It was important to me to maintain a certain level of composure. I didn’t want Robert to think I was desperate for his approval. I wanted to quell the storm between us, but not at the cost of my own self-worth. After we ordered our drinks and took our seats at an outdoor bistro table, I struggled for a way to begin an important conversation. To my surprise, it was Robert who initiated our talk.
“Jack returns from his vacation tomorrow?” Robert stretched his long legs in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.
“Yes.” I smiled.
“I’m surprised you didn’t take time off together. You’ve accrued plenty of vacation days.”
I shrugged. “His daughter is going to Maryland n
ext week. She’ll be gone for most of the summer. They need to spend time together, but we’re all going up to Mount Bachelor this weekend.”
A flicker of recognition passed over Robert’s face. “Now I understand why you didn’t want to say anything about your plans there.”
“I’m sorry about that,” I said with sincerity. “That’s a prime example why Jack and I decided to be honest about our relationship. We didn’t want to deceive anyone.” I paused before making my next admission. “Telling you about us at Widgi Creek was my idea. I thought it would be easier on you to hear the news there.”
My father was quiet for a moment before responding. “I felt set up.”
“That wasn’t my intention.” My resolve to maintain my composure began to flounder. “The three of us had a good afternoon. It was just the end of the day that got fucked up.”
My father winced, but I wasn’t sure if it was over my use of an expletive or something else. “You wanted to tell me,” he replied, “but you were also trying to make sure I wouldn’t blow up. You expected me to lose my temper. As moronic as it sounds, that’s what pissed me off the most.”
“I’m sorry that you were upset.”
We fell into a tense silence, and I distracted myself with my beverage.
After several moments had passed, Robert said, “It was a good afternoon.”
“I’d like it if you and Jack golfed together more. It’s an important game to him, and he should play more often.”
Robert nodded before asking, “Have you dated a father before?”
“Never.”
“How’s that going? Between you and the girl?”
“Her name is Heide.”
“Between you and Heide,” he restated.
“It’s going well. I like her. A lot.”
“That’s good.”
“It’s important that she approves of me.”