“Are you taking me fishing?” she asked.
He screwed his face up at her. “Hell no. One last guess.”
“Some sort of class? Cooking lessons?”
Luke shook his head. “What kind of guy would want to do that?”
“Lots of guys take cooking classes,” Kate snapped at him.
“Probably ’cause their woman forced them to.”
“That’s just silly. There are lots of male chefs, famous ones.”
“Whatever. Not my thing. We’re not going to a cooking class. Besides, what would I have in the bag for cooking classes?”
Yeah, doesn’t make sense.
She threw her hands up. “Well? What is it then?”
“Done eating?” he asked before standing up.
Kate nodded and stood up as well.
“I’ll go and get rid of this,” Kate said, taking her empty plate and dirty fork to the dishwasher.
Luke picked up his bag and brought it to the coffee table. “A bet is a bet, right?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said with some reservation. “Although, you’re starting to scare me a little.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll be a lot of fun, at least for me. Not sure if it’s up your alley.”
“Show me already,” Kate demanded, her anticipation mixing with annoyance.
“Ready?”
Kate punched him. “Open your damn bag and show me.”
Luke inched open the bag, staring at her. He was doing it on purpose. She’d never been patient, and he knew it.
“How long does it fucking take to unzip something? Shit or get off the pot!” She seized the bag from him and unzipped it in a split second.
It contained colorful fabric, plastic pieces, and two see-through plastic sleeves with long straps, like those pass holders people sometimes wore at conferences.
“What is all of this?” she asked.
“We’re going to Comic Con.”
“What?”
“A comic book convention.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“No, I even got you a costume.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Do I have to wear it?”
“Yes, everyone who goes wears a costume, and I doubted you had one, so I picked one up for you.”
“It may not fit...” Kate said, not super excited at the idea.
“I asked Mom to help me with the size. She’s pretty sure it’ll fit.”
Kate looked at Luko’s eager eyes and couldn’t turn him down. She smiled before asking, “So what are we going as?”
“You’ll be Wonder Woman.”
Kate didn’t know if she was annoyed, angry, or just plain surprised.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yeah, you’ll like it, I swear. Don’t you remember how much we enjoyed watching Wonder Woman on TV on Saturday mornings?” he asked with a cheeky grin.
“We were kids...”
“Yeah, and deep down, you’re still a little girl, Katie. Don’t kid yourself.”
She wasn’t convinced she wanted to go, but a bet was a bet. She shook her head. “Whatever. You kept your hair the way I asked, so I have to do whatever I agreed to do.”
“That’s the attitude. Let’s drink to that,” he said, clinking his glass against hers. “Cheers!”
“I still have to go see my uncle in the morning, though,” she added.
“Of course,” he said. “We’ll go right after that. I’ve already got the tickets. It’ll be crowded, but we’ll get in.”
Kate found it difficult to imagine why people would dress up as superheroes and cram themselves into a conference hall with other strangers in costumes.
“What do people do there? I mean, what is there to see and do?”
Luke adjusted on the couch. “We’ll see some famous actors, comic book writers... We’ll do lots of people-watching. You’ll enjoy it, but I’m not doing it justice. It’s much better when you experience it in person. You’ll see soon enough.”
“And what will you dress up as?”
“Dr. Who.”
“Who?”
“Dr. Who, you know? British? Phone booth?”
Kate shook her head. “What?”
“You don’t know? Katie, you’re in for a treat, I’ll show you.” He took out his phone and started the Netflix app. “What’s your Wi-Fi network here?”
Kate gave him her password and walked to the kitchen to grab a couple more beers.
She returned and handed him one.
“Great, thanks,” he said. He tapped the cushion on his left. “Come, sit down and watch this. You’ll love it. I know.”
Kate plopped back down and refilled her empty glass.
Luke pressed play on his phone, and then rested it on the coffee table, close enough for both of them to watch despite the tiny screen.
After viewing the first episode, Kate had to admit it was interesting, and she was curious about seeing more, but on a bigger screen. “Let me get my laptop. We’ll see better.”
Kate came back, entered her password to unlock the screen, and handed Luke her laptop.
After watching the second episode, Kate wanted to see yet another one, but the battery only had ten percent left. As much as she loved her apartment, it lacked one thing: an extra power outlet in the living room. There was one behind the wall-mounted TV, and she’d once tried to plug something else in there. She almost broke her flat screen in the process, so Kate swore she wouldn’t do that again.
“Wanna come upstairs? I need to charge my laptop, and we can either sit upright on the kitchen bar stools or make ourselves comfortable on a bunch of fluffy pillows.”
Luke lifted his eyebrows. “Fluffy pillows it is.”
He shook his can, the widget making its distinctive sound against the empty aluminum shell. “Do you have any more of these?”
“No more Guinness, but I have other beer in the fridge,” she said, already upstairs. “Do you want more? I can run to the store.”
“Nah. I’m fine with whatever you’ve got,” he said.
“Come and join me when you’re ready. Could you grab me a glass of water as well, please?” Kate asked.
“Sure.”
Kate fluffed up the pillows and placed her extra comforter against the wall. It was always handy in her bed frame drawer. She loved it on those rare cold nights when a second layer of feathers made a difference, but she mostly used it when reading in bed. She’d wrap herself in a comfortable little cocoon.
“Here you go,” he said, placing a glass of water on an empty coaster on the nightstand next to her. “Do you have other coasters?”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. They’re cheap IKEA tables. Not sure why I use this coaster sometimes.”
Luke joined Kate on the bed.
“Oh, I forgot,” she said.
She hopped off and plugged the power cord into the wall. “We should be good now. Lights on or off?”
“What do you think?”
“Off?”
“Sure,” he said.
They watched their third and fourth episodes cuddled in bed, Kate resting her head against Luke’s chest, the computer supported by their laps. While the show was entertaining, Kate’s energy was just about depleted.
“Katie?” Luke’s voice woke her up. “Enough for tonight?”
She couldn’t stop herself from yawning. “I think so. It’s been a long week.”
Luke closed the laptop, placed it on the nightstand next to him, and then got up. Kate buried her body farther under the comforter and rested her head on the pillow.
“Please stay,” she said as she fought to keep her eyes open. “Stay with me, okay?”
But staying awake was a losing game.
Chapter Thirty-Three
August 1, 2015
Kate Murphy
Kate’s Apartment, Boston
Pale moonlight slipped through the window and shone on Luke’s exposed back and jumbled hair.
Kate smiled. He’d stayed
.
She leaned in closer and spooned him, wrapping her right arm around his waist and placing her hand on his chest, her head pressed against his back. From his skin emanated something musky yet clean. She moved her fingers up and down his chest, following imaginary lines until she fell asleep once more.
A few hours later, she awoke in the little spoon position. They’d somehow moved, and Luke now had his arm around her, his warm breath bouncing on her hair. She closed her eyes again and tried to absorb the comfort of this fleeting moment, but her dress had bunched up around her waist, creating a lump. She couldn’t get rid of it without obliterating the safety of his embrace. His arm rested just below the lumped fabric, on the small of her waist.
She listened to the cadence of his breath. His soft, rhythmic heartbeat had almost hypnotized her back to sleep when his arm moved. He tightened his grip and moved his body closer to hers while his hand lingered on her hip and then slid down the outside of her thigh, caressing her leg. After pushing her hair away to expose her neck, he brushed it with a kiss.
Kate felt him harden behind her, which nudged her out of her sleepy state. He returned his hand to her waist before pulling her closer. His soft lips made their way to her back, then her shoulder, moving the dress’s spaghetti strap out of the way as he brushed her skin with soft kisses.
He pulled away and rolled Kate onto her back, then lay over her, one leg between hers and the other still at her side. His blue eyes locked onto Kate’s, but no words were spoken.
For half a second, Kate wondered how bad her morning breath was, but the thought escaped her mind when their lips merged into a passionate, demanding kiss. Her lust for him could no longer be restrained. Her body wanted his. Her mind and heart did, too.
He kissed her neck, inching his way down in a lascivious feast. His hands explored her hips and her waist before grabbing her bunched up dress and moving it upward. She lifted her back and raised her arms, clearing the way. His hands cupped her breasts, and he straddled her, eyes still locked onto hers.
Lowering his torso against hers, he then swallowed Kate’s lips in another kiss. She ran her fingers down his back, pressing him against her. His erect member extended an open invitation to satisfy her hunger for him, but fabric stood in the way. She reached down into his briefs. She squeezed his buttocks with one hand, and explored his warm skin with the other. Her fingers reached between his legs, gently cupping his balls, and then glided upward, along his shaft, until she reached the underwear’s elastic band. She stretched it to clear his cock and then used both hands to push his briefs down as far as she could.
He took care of the rest. His hand moved to her inner thighs. For a minute, he teased her through the fabric of her panties. He sat up, resting on bent knees, and pulled down her underwear. She watched him finish undressing her. She liked the sight of his large cock pointing to the ceiling. He pulled her panties all the way down to her ankles.
Kate broke the silence. “Hold on,” she said, then she rolled over to her nightstand and opened it.
Luke grabbed her ass while she fumbled in the drawer.
“Here,” she said, turning around to face him, handing over a condom.
“In a minute,” he said, leaving the untouched wrapper on the sheet next to him.
He kissed her stomach and caressed the inside of her legs with his fingers. He teased her, moved both his lips and hands closer and closer to her sweet spot but never reached it. By the time he finally kissed her nether lips, she was warm, wet, and ready. She wanted him. She wanted him inside of her now.
But Luke appeared to have other plans.
She closed her eyes and relaxed, enjoying what his tongue and fingers were doing, letting a few moans escape. Her body had begun quivering. She reached down and tugged on his hair to get his attention.
“Now. I want you in me, now,” she ordered.
Luke sat up, reached for the condom, unwrapped it, and put it on. Kate grabbed his cock and guided him.
“Slowly,” she said.
She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, enjoying how her insides parted to make room for his shaft. Once he was fully in, she reopened her eyes and smiled. His gaze was locked on her, his lips barely crooked into a smile. He increased his cadence, and it didn’t take long for Kate to start quivering again. She dug her fingers into his back.
“Faster! No, let me,” she said, forcing him to roll over while managing to stay inside her.
Kate took over, straddling him, arching her back, and moving her hips up and down as she rode his cock. He grabbed her pelvis and held her steady, taking over the tempo, faster and faster. Their moans grew louder.
Kate came, then Luke.
She leaned onto his chest, keeping him inside of her. Her heartbeat boomed in her core, pulsating against his cock that had yet to deflate. She pressed her upper body against his, closing her eyes and resting her face against his chest. She didn’t want to move because, for the first time in a very long time, she felt at home in this very instant. If perfection existed, this was it.
The moment ended when Luke tapped his fingers on her back. “I gotta go,” he said.
“What? Already?” Kate asked, not wanting to believe he was a fuck-then-dash guy.
“I mean... to the bathroom.” He nodded his head in that direction.
“Oh. Of course,” she said as she rolled off of him, careful not to spill the condom’s contents. Luke beat her to it. His hand was holding the condom’s base against his deflated shaft.
“Here,” she said, handing the box of tissues she’d grabbed from her nightstand.
He cleaned himself up, then walked butt naked to the bathroom.
Kate realized how much she’d missed having a naked man in her place… It was even better when it was this hot guy who cared about her and knew her well.
Still in bliss, she glanced at the clock: 8:18 a.m. She’d have to get ready soon. The visit with her uncle was scheduled for 11 a.m., and it would take her at least thirty minutes to get there, plus the processing time at the facility, another hour or so. She should probably head out of the house around 9 a.m.
Cupboard doors clunked in the kitchen, and Kate realized Luke was done with the bathroom. She headed downstairs and joined him in the kitchen.
“Good morning,” she said, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his back.
He turned around. “Good morning, indeed,” he said, and then kissed the top of her head. “If your neighbors have binoculars, we must be giving them a great show. Two naked people in the kitchen.”
“Nah... They’d have to be perched up in a tree somewhere to see in here. I walk around naked all the time.”
“Really?” Luke had a strange smile on his face. “A little nudist streak in you?”
“On my way to the shower, silly. Not while lounging around. That would be weird. Coffee?” she asked.
“Yes, black, please, but I’d like to quickly hop in the shower first, if you don’t mind.”
“May I join you?” Kate asked with a wink.
He smiled and cocked his head. “Sure.”
Their quick shower turned into another lovemaking session.
An hour later, Kate and Luke finally began sipping their coffee in the kitchen. Luke wore the same jeans and plaid shirt he’d worn the evening before, and Kate wore capri pants and, despite the heat, a long-sleeved shirt that covered her bruised wrist. She didn’t want Kenny to see it and worry about her.
“What time are you going to see your uncle?”
Kate looked at the clock on the stove. “I should get going now. Wanna come with?”
Luke shook his head. “I don’t know your uncle.”
Kate drained her coffee and set the mug down. “He’s a friendly guy, most days. I’m sure he’d like an extra visitor. Plus, if you come along, we could take your bag of costumes and go directly to Comic Con from there.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
He seemed to ponder his options for a second. Kate watc
hed the time. She’d have to get going very soon.
“What do you say?”
“Sure, why not,” he finally said.
“I just want to brush my teeth, put on some make-up, and I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “I’ve heard this before. I’ll pour myself another cup of coffee.”
“If you want, but I’m serious, I’ll be five minutes max.”
“Sure,” he said, a skeptical look on his face.
“I’ll prove it. It’s 9:32 a.m.,” she nodded toward the stove.
Two minutes later, her teeth were cleaned, and she was admiring herself in the mirror. Their lovemaking had added a healthy rosy glow to her cheeks. She put on a little eyeliner and pink lip gloss. She ran a comb through her wet hair before returning to the kitchen.
“It’s 9:36 a.m. Told you!”
“You’ve restored my faith in women. I’m ready to go,” he said. He headed toward the door then stopped in his tracks. “No wait, you’ll need a pair of high-heeled shoes or boots for your costume.”
“What color?” she asked.
“Doesn’t really matter, they’ll be covered by the costume, but you may want to pick a comfortable pair. You’ll be walking around lots.”
Kate returned to her bedroom and fumbled through the boxes stored in her closet. She picked a pair of sandals with a two-inch heel. They were the most comfortable ones she had.
Shoes in hand, Kate snatched her purse and car keys while Luke unzipped the costume bag. She dropped her shoes in it before exiting the apartment and locking up.
Kate drove to MCI Cedar Junction high on post-orgasmic vibes, enjoying the magical bliss of their budding relationship.
She and Luke exchanged smiles and hardly kept their hands off of each other. As though she were a rabbit in heat, Kate knew that if it hadn’t been for the jail visit and Comic Con, they would have probably spent the entire day naked in her apartment.
She could hardly believe what had happened. They’d bumped their old relationship to a new status. It had a solid foundation based on childhood memories, with a fresh dose of adult lust thrown into the mix.
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