by S. L. Siwik
I continue taking her at the same achingly slow pace. Feeling like I’m going to split in two from the intensity of the moment. Never have I made love to a woman and felt like this before. This is a first for me too.
“Blaze….I can’t hold out…” she screams as I nip my way down the flesh of her shoulder.
“I’ve got you, baby. I’ll always have you right here. Just let it go. Let it all go.”
More tears stream down her face as her legs wrap around me tighter, letting go of all that she holds inside. Coming down from her release, she lays her head on my shoulder…too spent to even hold it up any longer. I continue with the same slow rhythmic thrusts until finally…
I quickly pull out, aiming downwards into the stream of now cold water as the surges of pleasure turn me mindless.
With Victoria still in my arms, I turn off the water. Then I pull back the curtain and step out of the bathtub slowly. I walk carefully into the hallway towards the last door.
“Is this your bedroom?” I ask. She doesn’t even look up from her head still being on my shoulder, simply nods.
Opening the door, I step inside the room. Slowly, I lower us onto the bed. Victoria still has a tear rolling down her cheek. I wipe it away with the pad of my finger, then sucking on the finger. I taste the biter sweetness of her tear on my tongue.
“Would you…”She bites her lip before asking, “Would you cuddle with me?”
“Always,” I reply, lying down on the bed next to her. The bed creaks as I lay down on this hard, lumpy bed. This woman needs a new one…pronto. I collect her into my arms, pulling her into the warmth of my body. She molds to mine, her head resting on my chest. I run my hand down her hair as I kiss the top of her head.
“I’m sorry I’m such a mess suddenly,” she says, keeping her eyes down.
“It’ll happen sometimes after mind blowing sex,” I joke.
She laughs loudly, her whole body shaking from motion. “Yes, I guess it will.”
I lay there frozen in shock. I can’t believe that she just admitted that. My shock suddenly turns to happiness as a huge smile spreads across my lips. I kiss her head again, my fingertips still running through her hair.
I hear her sniffle, her head still buried in my chest.
“Why are you so upset?” I ask.
She sniffles again before she says, “Because I can’t stay away from you.”
My heart goes into overdrive as I listen to her words, because she wants to stay away. I can’t have that.
“Will you answer me something?” I ask.
Her head bobs up and down.
“Do you enjoy being around me?” I murmur into her hair while kissing her.
She nods again.
I pick her hand up and lace her fingers through mine. Connected. Unbreakable.
“So, it sounds to me like you are afraid or upset of something that hasn’t happened yet. That may not happen. Will you do something for me?” I ask, kissing the top of her head again.
She nods, still sniffling.
“Don’t worry about the future, or things to come. Just stay with me in this moment. Every moment that we are together in, just live in that moment with me. The past doesn’t exist, the future…not worth considering. Just stay with me here. And right now, there’s nothing to be upset about.”
Victoria finally looks up into my eyes, touching my face. She is hesitant, not sure if she should do this, but she relents. “Okay.” Her fingers squeeze around mine. “I’ll stay in the moment with you.” She leans up, kissing my lips chastely.
“Hey!! We’re home!” Andrea shouts loudly as I hear the front door slam closed.
“Shit!” She whispers, panicked.
Standing up, she grabs workout shorts from her drawer, and throws a tank top on.
“Aunt Vikkie?” Kendall calls out.
“Fuck!” I hear her whisper out. She is so hot when she curses. I am already hard again. How the hell is that possible? “Be right there!” She glances over at me. “I’ll get your clothes and bring them back. Stay here. I nod to the plan before wrapping her comforter around my naked body. Lying on my side, I watch her scurry around the room before stepping out.
“Hey. Did you have fun at the store?” Victoria asks in an overly enthusiastic voice.
“Aunt Dre dragged me all over the place. No one seemed to have what she was looking for.”
A wolf, though she may be, that woman seems to be on my side. I just need to figure out why.
“Where’s Blaze?” Kendall asks.
“He’s in the bathroom. He’ll be right out,” Victoria replies. “Why don’t you go down and get the mail, Kendall?”
“Okay,” she says, walking out of the apartment.
When the door clicks closed, I hear Andrea ask, “So, is Blaze in your room naked right now?”
“Not now, Dre. No time!” I hear feet slapping against the floor, and few moments later, my clothes are being thrown at me. “Quick! Get dressed!”
Standing up naked, I ask, “I can’t just go out like this?”
She glares at me momentarily as I chuckle. Slowly, she smiles as her eyes slowly rake down my body. “Just get dressed, Blaze, then come out.”
I dress, and once I’ve slipped my coat back on, wait another minute as the girls chat about the purchase Andrea made. As I walk out, I see her holding up a back massager. I cough loudly, since in quite a few pornos I’ve seen lately, the women have used the exact same model as a vibrator. I’m not going there, though. That’s a trap if ever I saw one.
Andrea glances up, smirking. “Is something wrong, Blaze?”
“Not at all. Just had a tickle in my throat.” I walk out of the room, sitting back in the kitchen to finish my omelet.
Kendall comes bouncing in, sitting down at the table. “You’ve hardly eaten anything.” She frowns. “Do you not like it?”
“I like it. I’m just a slow eater,” I reply. “It’s a good way to make sure I don’t overeat. Helps me stay trim,” I reply, patting my belly. I don’t miss from the corner of my eye, Victoria licking her lips staring at my abs.
Kendall smiles, deciding to accept my answer. I continue on with my omelet. Now that she’s made such a big deal about me eating it, I can’t let her down. Now I have to eat every single morsel on the plate. That’s fine by me; I worked up quite an appetite now.
“Hmm. What’s that smell?” Andrea asks with that wolfish grin on her lips. I know exactly what she’s referring to as the smell is prominent in the room: the aroma of sex.
The kitchen now reeks of sex, but I have no problems with that. I hope the smell lingers for days. It’s wrong of me, but I want the smell to remain, to mark my place in this apartment, with that woman. I want every man who comes in here after me to know that she’s already claimed.
“I did spray some perfume,” Victoria offers.
“Yeah. That must be it.” Andrea kisses Victoria’s forehead, as she smiles smugly. She whispers something into Victoria’s ear who gives her another worried look. Andrea reassures her with her eyes, and at this point, I’d give my left nut to have some super power. Telepathy, extra sensitive hearing, x-ray vision, I won’t be picky.
They all stare at me while I’m eating, so when I finish my bite, I place my fork down. “So, what do you women have planned for this afternoon? Conquering the world with your smiles?”
“No, that’s Tuesdays,” Andrea replies, brushing her hair out of her face.
“Well then on Monday, let me know if I need to write you ladies a check, or help you out in any way with your plan,” I reply.
Kendall giggles, loudly. When that girl laughs, it’s like happiness is just erupting out of her. It makes me feel proud.
“Oh? You’d help in our plot for world domination?” Andrea asks.
I nod. “Sure. It’s always good to be on the winning team,” I reply in between bites. “That way, hopefully, you’ll remember my assistance after your hostile takeover and will be benevolent towards me in you
r impending rule."
“And what makes you think that we’d be successful?” Andrea asks with layers of hidden questions beneath the surface.
“Because Sunshine over here could make the most hardened of criminal drop to his knees. I know for a fact that Victoria is a force to be reckoned with. When that woman wants something, nothing can stop her. And you, I have the distinct feeling that when the world slaps you, you slap back harder and then grow stronger. Survivors are capable of anything.”
Andrea’s eyes soften, and Victoria looks at me as though she’s debating undressing me around present company for round two. Her heated gaze raises my body temperature. After returning her heated stare, I take another bite of my omelet.
“I reached my level of success by being able to read people accurately.” My eyes trail to Victoria. “Why do you think Victoria was hired on the spot?” Feeling the gaze of every female in the room, I ask, “So, what are the plans for today then?”
“Oh. We were going to the park,” Kendall says.
“Sounds good. May I join?” I ask.
“Sure!” Kendall answers without hesitation.
“Here’s a suggestion then. Why don’t you ladies get ready while I finish this delicious omelet you so thoughtfully picked out for me?”
The women all scatter in the apartment, getting ready. I glance at the wall I just had Victoria pressed against and smile. If I ever come back to this apartment... No, when I come back to this apartment, I will always smile at that wall.
When I finish, I take the chipped dish that has seen better days to the sink. I realize Victoria doesn’t have a dishwasher. So, taking the sponge, I start cleaning the plate. Strange. I’ve never done a single dish in my life. I’m not even sure if I’m doing it right. For a moment, I think about calling Gladys, my cleaning lady, over so she can make sure it’s done right. Then as another present, I’ll pay her extra to take care of Victoria’s apartment, so that she doesn’t have to. But, I realize that would be a very bad move. It’s like buying a woman expensive bath soaps in a gift basket. She takes it as an insult that she needs to bathe. Victoria is the type of woman who would definitely take it as an insult that her apartment isn’t clean. It is, though, incredibly clean. So, I’ll have to stick this one out on my own. I glance down at my handy work, and the dish looks fairly clean, so after drying it with a thread bare dish towel, I place it back in the cabinet. Victoria comes in, breathless, smiling at me. She needs to stop always having that flushed ‘just got fucked’ look on her face if she expects me to be able to do anything else except keep slamming her against walls and kissing her senseless.
“We’re almost ready,” she says, her hair still wet, pulled up in one of those clip things. I feel cheated that I couldn’t join her in the shower.
Another day...I remind myself.
The two other ladies come behind her, and they’re all now sliding their shoes on.
As I make my way to the living room, I hear, “Uh oh.” Victoria looks down at Kendall’s shoe, so worn through that it has just split open. “Sorry,” Kendall apologizes.
Victoria brushes her cheek. “What for? You have nothing to be sorry about. You’re a growing girl.”
I sigh in relief that she’s said that because it feels like she read my mind. “Guess we’ll have to make a pit stop at the shoe store first.”
Her words surprise me. Can’t Sunshine just put on another pair of shoes? I take in the girl before me, really looking at her. Her clothes are worn, faded, and a little short as though she’s just been through another growth spurt. It hits me then that she probably doesn’t have another pair of shoes. I also haven’t been able to pay Victoria the two grand yet.
As a man, Victoria’s boss, her lover, and future boyfriend, I have to fix this situation. In my defense, I didn’t know how tight they were financially until today. I have never met Kendall, never been inside their home. But now I can do something about it.
“I have an idea. Instead of going to the park, why don’t you ladies accompany me shopping? My treat, of course.”
Victoria looks like she wants to protest, but Andrea chimes in quickly, “Can your wallet handle that?” She’s smiling warmly at me.
I pull my wallet out of my back pocket, holding up my Black American Express card. “Was there ever any doubt?”
Andrea smiles widely. “Kendall, it’s time for an introduction into the world of Coach.”
I shrug, unaffected by the designer name. If that’s what Sunshine wants, so be it. “Wherever you ladies want to go, let me know. Daniel will take us.”
“Who’s Daniel?” Kendall asks, her face scrunched up in confusion.
“My driver.”
Kendall’s eyes grow wide. “We’re going in a car with a driver?”
“Of course,” I reply, “Only first class for you.”
Her excitement grows to nervousness. “Is he a safe driver?”
“The safest,” I assure her.
But, her look of panic isn’t easing, and Victoria rubs her shoulders. “Kendall, sweetheart, you know I wouldn’t let you go anywhere that was dangerous. Daniel is a very safe driver. I have ridden with him before.”
“Okay,” Kendall finally concedes.
I know her parents died, and by the panic in Kendall’s eyes, I’m now positive that it was in a car crash.
I open the door to the apartment, and I hold my hand out for the ladies to walk out.
I slipped up again. I know. Several times in fact. Where did my backbone that I had when I walked out of the hotel room go? It liquified the moment I felt Blaze inside me. But, before he even touched me, he was brilliant with Kendall, and I practically melted into a puddle of hot mess on my kitchen floor. She’s crazy about him. I can tell. I have no idea how to keep him away from her now. As weird as it sounds, he seems just as crazy about her, too. Blaze has spent the morning trailing behind three women as a million questions were fired off at him, answering every single one. He sat patiently as Kendall tried on every single piece of clothing, wanting his opinion on everything. He gave it, with a smile, every time. If any of the outfits seemed a little revealing or risqué, he shook his head immediately. Even stranger, was seeing a man, as breathtaking as Blaze, sitting in the junior’s department store lounge chairs. It was like placing a blue diamond in a garbage heap. The two do not belong together, and should never be placed together. I also didn’t miss all of the gawking stares…from married women, might I add. Although I can hardly blame them. If I were married to any man, I’d still be gawking at Blaze. He didn’t return any of their stares with anything other than a polite nod. I didn’t hold it against him; the man attracts any woman in a ten mile radius. They are drawn to him, helpless against his smile. And he is all smiles this afternoon.
Kendall nearly has a new wardrobe now of designer clothes and several pairs of shoes. This is bad. My worst fears are coming to life in Saks Fifth Avenue- these two different halves of my life are merging together before my eyes. I feel panicked inside like DEFCON 1 has just been issued and now I have to spend the weekend building a bomb shelter, hoping we survive the blast. Also, what’s with the nickname Sunshine? Doesn’t he realize that will only endear him more to her? Doesn’t he understand that Kendall has serious abandonment issues now and that someone can’t just walk into her life and then disappear again without wrecking her world? No, he probably doesn’t understand that. He’s Mr. Blaze Townsend. He’s used to waltzing in, leaving a lasting first impression, then waltzing out with females sighing as he leaves.
As Blaze pays, Kendall takes the shopping bags. After he signs, Kendall stands on her tip toes and kisses his cheek. His face lights up as she blushes. Shit. I wonder what materials are needed for building a bomb shelter. Maybe I can find building blueprints on my smartphone.
“This is a mess,” I murmur to Andrea.
“This is a miracle. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted happening right in front of your eyes,” she replies.
“Really?” I r
eply scathingly, “And who’s going to pick up the pieces of Kendall’s broken heart when he disappears from her life and moves on to bigger and better things?”
“Are we talking about Kendall or you?” she asks, her brow arched.
“Kendall, of course!” I snap back, then remember to lower my voice as I continue on, “This whole situation has gotten completely out of control. If I come out of this with my job still intact, that’ll be the miracle.”
Andrea sighs, glaring at me in annoyance. “Do you think a man like him does something like this for a woman he’s not crazy about? Could you ever picture Trent doing this?”
“Trent’s an asshole. Case closed,” I reply with my arms crossed.