QuarterLifeFling

by Clare Murray

  Halfway through, he realized she was watching him while leaning against the doorframe, an indistinct shape through the foggy shower partition. He finished rinsing, turned the water off and got out, accepting the towel she handed him.

  “You that eager to go, babe?” He toweled his hair vigorously, letting his body drip dry onto the mat.

  “Go?”

  “Our motorcycle ride.”

  She squeaked. “You were serious about that?”

  “Hell yes. We have to hike out a ways first, to the staff parking lot. You game?” He wanted her in bed, but if he played his cards right, he could have the best of both worlds.

  Her eyes lit up as she nodded, and he tossed the towel aside, relieved at her willingness. He had always wanted to go on a moonlight ride with a pretty girl. Even though she was a virtual stranger, doing this just felt right for some reason.

  “Let me get dressed, then we’re out of here.”

  * * * * *

  The slight disappointment at not immediately falling into bed with Jude was tempered by my excitement at seeing his Harley. As I approached the bike, he handed me a helmet with a no-nonsense look. I wrestled the thing over my head and the world became muffled. A few moments of fumbling and I’d flipped the visor up. That was better.

  Apart from two cars, the staff parking lot was empty. The nearest cabin was a ten-minute walk away, so we were pretty isolated out here. I supposed that was for the better—the stupid Terms and Conditions I’d apparently agreed to probably banned me from leaving the premises.

  Jude, dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a leather jacket, gestured for me to sit in front. I frowned, taking a step back. Did he want me to drive?

  Trust me, he mouthed.

  Closing my eyes briefly, I took a deep breath and straddled the motorcycle. This had to be one of the craziest things I’d ever done. When Jude swung on behind me and undid my fly with nimble fingers, I amended that thought. This was the single craziest deed I’d ever participated in.

  Then his hand slid inside my underwear and I clenched in renewed desire. I was already wet for him after watching him shower, and his touch was almost enough to tip me over the edge. When he started the engine, my cry of pleasure was lost in the roar of the motorcycle.

  And the seat underneath me was vibrating. Holy fuck. I squirmed, tilting my hips to give his hand greater access. He motored forward just enough to get us down the road a little way, and the increased vibration had me panting inside my helmet, desperately wanting more.

  Then he stopped the bike, and I cried out again as his fingers slipped inside me, starting a steady rhythm that was going to undo me any second now. His other hand swept up my shirt, and I let my helmeted head drift back against his shoulder so that I was staring at the sky.

  You gotta just let go, babe. His advice resonated in my mind.

  The moon fragmented into countless silver shards as I came for the second time in my life, my cries muffled inside the helmet, lost in the engine’s throb. Aftershocks rocked me, but Jude held me close even though his erection nudged at the small of my back.

  When I reached for him, though, he slid off the bike with a mischievous grin. Let’s ride, his lips said, and I scootched back to give him the front. My jeans were still undone, but it was warm enough, and nobody was around to notice. I locked my arms around Jude’s waist as we took off down the dirt road.

  Puffs of dust marked our wake as we cruised. I rested my cheek against Jude’s leather-covered back, still trying to catch my breath. My legs were still a little wobbly and I was glad the Harley’s seat was so comfortable.

  Trust me, Jude had said. I was glad I’d consented to this wild ride. Suddenly this didn’t seem like a quarter-life slump any longer. Wind rushed past as we picked up speed, turning onto the paved two-lane road that had led me to Daydream—and Jude—in the first place.

  Jude seemed to know exactly where to go, taking us on a scenic ride past scattered farmhouses and fields. Eventually we wound through a stretch of forest that seemed magical in the cooling night air. We encountered nobody else but a car driving in the opposite direction.

  I relaxed into the ride as I realized Jude was being really careful not to jar me at all. He took curves slowly, gradually, teaching me to lean into them like he did. I was desperate to remember every moment of this ride, to imprint the memory upon my soul. This was the kind of thing I’d look back on as an old woman.

  I sighed a little in disappointment as we turned back toward Daydream. We slowed to a crawl when we hit the dirt road, as if Jude too wanted to prolong the moment. An idea blossomed, and before I could chicken out I acted on it.

  At this speed, it was easy to unzip his fly, and his dick immediately jutted into my hand, poking through the hole in his boxers. He’d been hard all this time? The Harley slowed almost to a standstill, chugging along as I pumped him with one hand. Maybe I was crazy, but this was the sexiest thing I’d ever done, and Jude wasn’t complaining—or if he was, I couldn’t hear him through the helmet.

  I could sense how close he was. He stilled briefly, then thrust one last time, jetting hot semen across my fingers. He was steering one-handed now, guiding the Harley into its parking place and cutting the engine. The night seemed very still without the noise of its engine.

  Jude dismounted and pulled off his helmet, his shower-damp, dark-brown hair wild as it sprang free of its confines. “I’m a mess, babe.” He grinned.

  “Sorry about that.” I returned his smile, doing up my fly as I got down.

  “It’s fine. I’ll do laundry overnight. Come on, I can walk you back to the cabin.”

  “Thanks. I…really enjoyed myself tonight.”

  “Me too.” Although we were walking now, his gaze remained on me, arm resting companionably around my shoulders. “I think I was probably overly optimistic about the naked part. It got a little cold when we were going through the forest.”

  “I’ll go bra-less next time,” I offered.

  “You do that.” He stopped as we reached the porch, bending down for a good night kiss that was far more tender than I expected.

  Suddenly I had to ask. “That tattoo you have…what do S and P stand for?”

  I held my breath as a shadow crossed his face and his eyes went all distant for a minute. Then he spoke. “You might think this is silly, but those letters stand for Sergeant and Pepper. They’re my dogs…or, well, they were. Sarge died last year. Pepper’s a Golden Retriever.”

  “Sounds like he’s really important to you.”

  He nodded and grimaced. “Yeah. Except he’s not in the best of health right now. I got him from a rescue. He was pulled out of a pretty bad puppy mill setup. He needed a lot of training but eventually I was able to build up his confidence. I guess in turn he built up mine, so I owe him a lot.”

  My childhood dog, Rocky, had been a Golden too. I’d cried and cried when he died. Now that I rented a cramped apartment with a tiny patio, I couldn’t see myself getting another puppy…and suddenly I envied Jude his outdoorsy life.

  If I kept standing here, I wouldn’t be able to resist giving him another good night kiss. So I smiled at him and opened my cabin door. “Thanks again for the ride.”

  “Sure thing. ’Night, babe. Expect me tomorrow some time.”

  “I will,” I whispered.

  Chapter Two

  I rolled over as a shaft of sunlight hit my face. A minute later the jangle of the landline prompted a groan of protest. The office sent a cheery, pre-recorded wake-up call to each cabin at 8:00 a.m. I grumbled something dire and hung up on the voice, dragging myself out of bed.

  I really wished I wasn’t awake, but it wasn’t because I liked sleeping in. Today was Thursday, the last full day I’d have at Daydream. The past three days had been filled with sex, meditation, complaints from the trust-fund blonde, more sex, health food and a few heart-to-hearts with Zara. She’d turned out to be really cool, soaking up all the details about Jude…and Salvador.

  Ju
de’s husky foreman had been due to visit Zara’s cabin last night. Jude had heartily endorsed the guy, calling him a trustworthy man and a hard worker. I really hoped I’d get more details from Zara over breakfast. She deserved a good break in life for once.

  After I’d showered and dressed, I went to the main hall for breakfast. I craved something involving bacon and eggs, but most likely I’d get something involving grapefruit and yogurt. It was a price worth paying to be near Jude.

  “Granola and fruit. That’s not so bad.” Zara took a seat next to me. Was the other woman’s face flushed or was I imagining things?

  “Better than yesterday’s gloop,” I replied.

  “Hmm, I think that was porridge, technically.” Zara laughed, seeming more carefree than she had in the previous few days. Maybe Salvador had something to do with that.

  “So how was last night?” I cut right to the chase, and she regaled me with a tale that left us both blushing all the way through breakfast. I hoped none of the older hippies overheard us, but they seemed to be busy with their own conversations.

  “Is Jude going to visit you again today?” Zara asked as we got up to leave.

  “Yeah. He said his landscaping job won’t be complete until tomorrow.” A twinge of unease folded up through my gut. I knew where he lived—with his brother in Chico, so not too far away—but we hadn’t discussed anything about the future. Probably because there wouldn’t be a future. I had to be realistic about this whole thing.

  Zara gave me a sympathetic look. “Any plans to keep in touch?”

  “No. It’s just a four-night stand.” A quarter-life fling to remind me I was still pretty young.

  “Maybe you’ll figure something out.”

  I hoped she was right. But I wouldn’t depend on it. To distract myself, I went and joined in the half-hour guided meditation session in the main hall. But even though I tried hard, I couldn’t get into it. My thoughts kept wandering back to Jude.

  Every time the leader suggested a different visualization, my mind stubbornly refused to cooperate. All I could think about was him. The way his lips felt against my skin, the saltiness of his cock, the fact that he gave me an orgasm every single time—something I hadn’t even realized was possible.

  But it was the emotional side that really undid me. He was cool, interesting, funny and sympathetic all wrapped up in one package. Basically everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend. And I was losing him tomorrow, when I went back to being boring old Alanna, working in software design by day and eating pizza by night.

  Finally the meditation group broke up and everyone went their separate ways. On a whim I wandered into the empty computer room. I hadn’t thought about work since Monday. My inbox was going to be overflowing and my boss was probably pretty annoyed by now. Had I even set up an automatic out-of-office reply? If not, there were going to be a lot of grumpy people on Monday.

  I sat down at one of the desktops. A wiggle of the ergonomic mouse revealed a thin woman in a bikini lounging atop golden sand. Her head was thrown back, pearly whites frozen in laughter that would never come. To others, she was the epitome of beauty. To me, she was fiction.

  There were no stretch marks, no jiggly bits on her thighs or too-flat, exposed stomach. Short of a complete plastic surgery makeover and tons of slathered foundation (and probably some airbrushing, come to think of it), I’d never look like that model. Nor would anyone else at this health retreat. The picture was stupid.

  On impulse, I replaced the model with a pair of grazing horses. Then I delved into my email, firing off a few terse replies to anything urgent. I’d have to do a lot of catching up on the weekend.

  “Hey.”

  I jumped a mile as Jude laid his hands on my shoulders. Signing out, I turned to give him my full attention. He was dressed a bit more formally today in a blue button-down shirt and black jeans.

  “Something I shouldn’t be seeing?” He nodded toward the computer.

  “My boss wants some tweaks done on our latest app’s GUI, my coworkers are debating C versus C++ and I’m the sole heir to some rich person’s million dollar fortune. All I have to do is give some dude in South America my details for a quick bank transfer.”

  “That all? I was offered seven million yesterday from a guy in Europe. I wish I had the energy and know-how to scam them back. Like that P-P-P-Powerbook thing.”

  I giggled at both his pronunciation and the fact that he even knew about that particular reverse scam. “Yeah, I remember reading about that when I was a teenager. I laughed so hard.”

  His fingers traced a caress across my bare neck, hazel eyes darkening with intent. “I wish I’d known you back then.”

  I swallowed. Was he going to kiss me here? I glanced around quickly and nervously as he drew me to my feet and into his arms. It was just us in the room, and Jude reached over to lock the door, brandishing a keyring with a triumphant grin.

  “I have the run of the place during this project. Besides, the whole point of this retreat is to stay away from technology, which means we’ll probably remain undisturbed.”

  Probably? The threat of detection should have dampened my ardor, but I was only more turned-on. I sighed in contentment and anticipation as Jude slid his hands up my stomach. Perching on the edge of one of the low computer tables, I shoved a mousepad aside to give him more room to continue his explorations. As he reached my bare breasts, he froze, eyes widening in approval.

  “You’re not wearing a bra!”

  I laughed at his gleeful shock. “Surprise. Just don’t expect me to go jogging any time soon.”

  “You’re not going anywhere any time soon.” He was already tugging my pants down, so I returned the favor, extricating his hard-on from his boxers. The foil packet in his hand was different from anything I’d seen, so I guessed he meant what he said about trying out various condoms.

  “Ribbed,” he told me, correctly interpreting my thoughts. He put it on one-handed, teasing my clit with his other hand. “God, you are so hot. I haven’t been able to keep away from you all this time.”

  “I just wish you would stay the night with me.”

  “I want that too, babe. But I also gotta concentrate on this job. I’d sleep too deep with you at my side and I need to be on top of my job while I’m here.”

  “I know.”

  His expression softened at my meek words, and he pulled me up and off the table for a long kiss that left us both panting. His cock jerked as I skimmed a finger up its length.

  “I need you fast, babe. Do you want me to make you come with my fingers? I’m not gonna last inside you.” He was already stroking me, his fingers inside my pussy, building that sweet ache into a raging inferno.

  “Please,” I gasped. It seemed strange that a mere few days ago, I was half-terrified of coming. Now I welcomed the release, the careening loss of control. I didn’t resist as I felt it happening again. Jude grabbed my head and muffled my cries in his shoulder, holding me close until I quit shaking so much.

  “Put your hands here,” he said when I’d recovered. “I’m gonna take you from behind.”

  “Um. There?” I squeaked. My eyes widened. Neither of my exes had even broached the topic of anal.

  “That? Not yet.” He grinned. “I just want you hard and fast. And right now.”

  Not yet. I clung to those words as if they were a lifeline. They meant hope. A future. Together.

  Then I couldn’t think at all. He was bending me over the table, penetrating me slowly as a low groan of pleasure escaped his lips. “Fuck, you feel so good.”

  He gripped my thighs as he thrust again, and I arched against him to provide maximum access. His cock went deep, and soon I was whimpering with need. The thought of someone walking in on us was terrifying, electrifying.

  Jude came first, pumping hard inside me as he hissed in pleasure. Those few extra thrusts were all I needed to tip me over the edge again. Stars swam in front of my eyes and only Jude’s grip on my lower half kept me vaguely stable. He
laughed as he hauled me to my feet, then we both froze as we heard voices in the hall.

  I rushed to pull my pants up. Just when I was presentable, flopped on a chair in front of a nearby computer, one of the middle-aged hippie-types burst into the room carrying a key with an oversized tag marked COMPUTER ROOM.

  “Oh! The door was locked earlier.” She looked stumped, and I felt a little bit guilty.

  Jude looked up from the computer he’d chosen. “Really? Weird. It was open when I came in.”

  The woman looked chagrined. “Well, I’ll just return the key then. My mistake. How strange.”

  “Happens to the best of us.” Jude looked nonchalantly back at his screen, and I bit back a giggle. Part of the condom was sticking out of his unzipped fly. As soon as we were alone again, he got up and fixed himself, shooting me a slyly guilty look that had me snickering.

  We escaped the room before the woman came back, fleeing outside hand-in-hand toward my cabin. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was living a life I truly wanted. The only problem was that it was clearly temporary.

  “Is this your dream job? Landscaping?” I looked up at Jude as we walked. He hadn’t gelled his hair this morning, so it was rumpled just the way I liked it.

  “I really like landscaping, and there’s good money in it…but my dream job is to design and build treehouses.”

  Now that was cool. “For adults or kids?”

  “Both. Whoever wants them.” A beep from his pocket distracted him and he tugged his phone out, frowning at the screen.

  “Everything okay?” I couldn’t help but ask. I have no claim on him, I reminded myself. It’s just a four-night stand. Just a fling.

  “Yeah…” He didn’t sound so sure, but in the next instant he’d gone back to normal. “Hey, I forgot to ask if you wanted to use my phone to text anyone. If you do, I gotta warn you that I turned autocorrect off.”