Beautiful Together

by Andrea Wolfe

  Near the end, I found myself feeling a little fatigued, so I rested my head on Jesse's shoulder. It felt so comfortable, so natural. He put his arm around me and drew me close to him. Honestly, it was like we were sitting on the couch in my basement again, not in an art-house theater in London.

  Everything was the way it used to be.

  The night felt utterly perfect. We had gotten just as close as we were before in only one day, after so many difficult years apart.

  Maybe even closer.

  "That was awesome," he said after the end credits rolled. "It's so stupid, but it's so good."

  "I know," I said. "Can you believe that we used to be freaked out by that kind of dumb stuff?"

  "Well, maybe you were," he said. "I never was."

  "Bullshit. I clearly remember you being scared the last time."

  "I think your brain is clouded by alcohol," he said with a laugh.

  "Maybe yours is," I snapped.

  He paused and then shrugged. "Well, you got me there."

  I took his arm and we walked through the night, strolling aimlessly. Neither of us mentioned a destination.

  "Places close so early here," Jesse remarked randomly.

  "I know! Especially compared to New York City. If you don't know exactly where you're going, you might end up somewhere that stops serving drinks at ten."

  "Bars close at four there, right?"

  "Yep."

  "They close between one and two in Boston. I wish they were open later, but you can't have everything."

  "It's not like your fridge closes early," I joked. "There's always another option for booze."

  "True," he said. "But that's only if I remembered to restock it."

  We continued walking, conversing only when new topics arose. Periodically, we stopped to rest in parks, sitting on cold benches to rest our legs. My phone trilled, cutting through the silence during one of the stops.

  I yanked it out of my purse—it was Arielle:

  Her: Are you having fun? ;)

  "Anything important?" Jesse asked as he gazed out into a very green, very wide open space.

  I punched in a response before speaking:

  Me: I'll be home soon. I'll tell you all about it! :) I had a great day!

  "Just Arielle checking in on me," I said. "I think they're surprised I was actually gone all day."

  Jesse laughed. "Yeah, well, it's been a busy day."

  I moved closer to him, trying to steal some of his warmth. "Thanks for everything," I said. "That was super nice of you. This has been one of the best days I've had in a long time."

  "Oh, don't worry about it. And I think so too."

  After that stop, we continued onward, navigating through wide, spread out areas of houses and businesses. It was so unlike NYC I could barely believe were in a huge city.

  We were a couple of foreign explorers with no particular agenda or goal, wandering, enjoying. And then we rounded a random corner, and Jesse stopped dead in his tracks.

  "Holy shit," he said. "That's my hotel." The building was huge, the hotel facade glowing in the night. Even more impressive than it had looked during the day.

  "Did you secretly lead us back here?" I joked. "Were you looking at directions on your phone?"

  "You're the one who was leading the whole time!" he quipped. "You called the shots."

  I smiled. "I guess you're right."

  "C'mon," he said, taking the lead. "I want to show you my room. It's a really cool suite. And I've got some alcohol up there."

  I shrugged. I had already said yes to everything else today, so why not this? Arielle and Amy could wait a little longer. "Yeah, okay."

  "Great." Jesse took me by the hand and led me through the courtyard area. We quickly headed through the lobby and then jumped into the elevator. The architecture was just as cool as he had promised, and the modern renovations blended everything nicely.

  The elevator ride to the third floor was quick. Before I knew it, Jesse was guiding me down the hallway and into his suite.

  "Sorry, it's a bit messy," he said as he flipped on a light.

  There were some clothes and papers scattered around on the floor, but it was nothing major, especially not compared to the beauty of the rest of the room. "This is impressive," I said.

  "It's a premier suite," he said, "which happens to be the lowest of all their suites actually. And it's still the nicest hotel room I've ever stayed in."

  He closed and locked the door as I walked around the room. There was a full living room area, a personal bar, a huge TV hidden inside a cabinet, plenty of furniture for sitting, fake fruit in a basket on the table. The carpet was striped and it kind of created a weird optical illusion if you stared at it for too long.

  The bed was huge. By the time I had returned my eyes to Jesse, he had already tidied up the mess on the floor.

  "It's even better that it's free," I said. "Can't beat that."

  "I already opened the rum," he said, "so I'm just going to drink that until it's gone. Okay with you?"

  "Sure. On the rocks, please."

  "Coming up." He headed toward the bar and grabbed some glasses while I sat down on the couch. It was very comfortable, unusual for hotel furniture. When Jesse came back, he set a drink in front of me on a coaster.

  "Thanks." I picked it up and took a sip as he sat down beside me with his own drink.

  "No problem. I didn't even think about the fact that we're also drinking together. I made such a big deal out of weed, but it's not like we even drank together either."

  I giggled. "I guess not. I mean, we're both adults now, right?"

  "Last time I checked," he said.

  "And so now, I partake occasionally. Quite occasionally."

  "Me too."

  We joked around and finished those first drinks. And then he poured two more and we continued the same routine. The aura in the room was incredible, and I couldn't just blame it on the alcohol.

  After my second drink was nearly gone—and I was seriously feeling the rum—I panicked. "Oh shit," I said. "It's already after midnight, isn't it?"

  "Yeah," he said, his words a little slurred.

  "The trains already stopped running then. Dammit." I had lost my primary method of transportation home, and the alcohol was making me more emotional. I fought hard not to cry.

  Jesse instantly took my hand, cradling it in his own. "Naomi, it's fine. I'll get a cab for you. It's my fault anyway."

  "Seriously?" I asked, feeling instantly assuaged. "But they're so expensive here."

  "Don't sweat it," he said. "It doesn't matter. Just let me know when you wanna leave."

  I laughed. "Thanks. Sorry for freaking out." I leaned against him, my body so light from the alcohol. It felt good to be close. I kicked off my shoes and put my legs up on the couch and remained propped up against his shoulder.

  "I'm so happy to be hanging out with you again," he said. "I missed you so much."

  "I missed you too," I said. I craned my neck, trying to make eye contact. The liquor was making me bolder. "Why did we ever grow apart in the first place?" I asked, my question intended to be mostly rhetorical.

  "Because I was totally in love with you," he said.

  "Yeah," I added absent-mindedly. "It just sucks that we—" My delayed processing finally caught up. "Wait, what?" I sat up sharply and put my feet back on the floor, physically grounding myself.

  "I was totally in love with you, Naomi. I mean, I'm still in love with you. I wanted you more than anything. And then you started dating Mason, and I freaked out. I should have went to the dance with you guys, but I didn't. And then I felt like it was too late, like you guys were moving too fast for me to catch up." He paused and took a drink. "I felt like I was suffocating. Like I was losing both of you. And then all the... other stuff happened."

  I remembered wondering if he actually had a crush on me, and the random kiss in the basement was definitely a red flag. I had come to the conclusion that he hadn't, however, based on his
sudden relationship with Carla. I guess I had been totally wrong—he had just used her to get over me.

  "For real, Jesse?" I asked, staring into his beguilingly hazel eyes.

  "For real," he answered, his sincerity almost palpable, the heaviest thing in the room.

  "I can't believe I didn't figure it out," I remarked. "I mean, how could I be so blind?"

  His face remained stoic, the real work occurring inside his brain. "I never made it clear. And I never told you. I... didn't have the guts to tell you the truth. And then I acted like an asshole."

  Emotion flooded through me, raw, unrefined feeling. Hazy thoughts rushed through my mind. I gazed at him, hypnotized and frozen, like I had stared at Medusa and turned to stone.

  I fought to make sense of everything that had suddenly become reality. Now, the new things I felt toward him seemed very different. So very different. The alcohol was factoring in for sure, but not that much.

  "Jesse, I'm so sorry," I said quietly. I had never even thought of him that way—so what the hell did it mean now? Things were very different.

  So many years had passed, and we both had changed.

  "You're the most beautiful, incredible girl I've ever met in my whole life," he said. "I never stopped wanting you, Naomi. Never. It wasn't even a possibility."

  "Jesse," I said, more mouthing than speaking. I felt myself moving toward him in slow motion. And then I felt his arm wrapping around my back, drawing me even closer. My eyes closed tightly, just as our lips met, the sensation almost electric.

  He kissed me hard, almost gluing his lips to mine. It was heavy, loaded with longing and intent that had been suppressed since we were teenagers. Immediately, I noticed a trickle of wetness between my thighs, an arousal that felt so heavy, so incredibly necessary that it would crush me if I tried to escape.

  I could smell the rum on his breath, taste it on his tongue. There was a lingering scent of cologne along with hints of what almost seemed like peppermint. Odors so rich and intoxicating that they made me feel even drunker than before.

  I matched his intensity, kissing him hard, running my hands through his hair, tugging gently. My breath came so quickly, and I periodically broke the kiss as I fought for air. Our tongues twined in our mouths, driven by lust, by insurmountable want. I could feel his stubble grazing my skin, rough and raw.

  Jesse urged me toward the surface of the couch, his body weight overwhelming mine. I lowered to my back as he climbed on top, his hardness apparent against my thigh. This was real—and it was happening right now.

  I wrapped my legs around his, our chests heaving, our lips nearly glued together. We rocked our hips, blissfully rubbing our clothed flesh together. Tingles flooded through my body, tingles that began between my thighs and eventually overwhelmed my brain.

  We continued kissing, grinding, breathing into one another. His arms kept me planted firmly against the couch, and I loved how powerful he was.

  He unbuttoned my blouse, pulling it over my head and tossing it on the floor, revealing my bra. Then off came his shirt, and our bare flesh finally made contact. His skin felt so hot against my own, and his muscles, albeit smaller than his high school football days, were so taut, beautifully toned and firm.

  I liked them even better now.

  I kissed him just as he kissed me, our hearts beating together. He unbuttoned my jeans, dragging them down to my knees. I returned the favor, my fingers lightly massaging and clutching, fully aware of his arousal as I unbuttoned and unzipped and pulled.

  We both rose to our feet momentarily, leaving the jeans on the floor, never interrupting the flow of the kiss. Our underwear had become the only barrier between what we were currently doing and the next step.

  Adroitly, with one hand, he undid the clasps on my bra behind me, and sent it flying toward the clothing heap on the floor. Almost angrily, he took my nipples into his mouth, one at a time, nibbling, tightening his teeth around them, but not quite biting.

  "I need you more than anything," he said, his voice low and husky.

  I felt sparks of sensation pulsing through my body, expanding the wetness down below. He cupped, kissed, and sucked while my back arched uncontrollably, my breath leaving as soon as it returned.

  "Oh, Jesse," I moaned.

  He began kissing down the front of me, oh so slowly, one hand still cupping my breast. His tongue lightly grazed my skin, moving down my belly, across my navel, and then even lower. My eyes were closed by that point, and I simply couldn't open them no matter what.

  I felt him pulling at the waistband of my panties, his breath hot against the soft curls of my mound. His other hand lightly tweaked my nipple, the sweet torture of the whole ordeal perfectly agonizing.

  Jesse dragged my panties down until they were bunched around one ankle, ready to fall to the floor. The heat of his breath almost singed my clit as his eager tongue overtook it. I felt my whole body contract, all of the muscles twitching and releasing. My back arched again, yet he followed me perfectly, as if he had rehearsed this moment a thousand times before.

  "Oh, God," I cried, the words forced out of me like I was in the middle of a brutal interrogation—only I wanted to speak, I wanted to confess.

  His tongue spiraled, his hand clutching my breast. Both sensations blended perfectly, sending my pounding heart into overdrive.

  My hands gripped the cushions, pulling at them, struggling for stability. My legs tightened around his head, pulling him closer, deepening my pleasure. He slid one finger inside at first, stretching me, fighting the delicate resistance of my muscles as they tightened around him. One finger became two, but with his deft tongue still in motion, I barely noticed the change.

  I didn't know where I was anymore, didn't understand what I was feeling. Still, I wanted this more than anything in my whole life. As Jesse's fingers pressed against my g-spot, I felt a shiver rippling through my body, my nipples hardening, goose bumps breaking out across my shoulders and arms.

  My body rocked as he worked down below. Both of his hands were there, one holding my legs spread wide, the other inside. I felt a growing burning sensation in my belly, but I didn't want to finish like this. I needed more.

  I opened my eyes for a brief second, the light so intense it felt like I had looked directly into the sun. I tightly closed them again, trying to limit my already fatigued senses. Feeling was enough.

  Suddenly, he stopped, and I felt myself lifted into the air, floating toward the bedroom. I opened my eyes just enough that I could see his biceps and forearms flexed, his face an expression that screamed I'm about to fuck your brains out.

  "I've waited so fucking long for this," he said between gritted teeth.

  "Me too," I moaned weakly, realizing the consequences of all my unplanned years of celibacy in that moment.

  He lowered me onto the bed, peppering my belly with kisses as he lowered his boxers. The room was dim, only illuminated by the light bleeding through from the living room. It was easier to keep my eyes open, and that was good since there were definitely some things I wanted to see.

  "Do I need to grab a—"

  I already knew what he was asking, and I knew what the answer was. "No, just fuck me," I pleaded. "Now."

  His body angled upward, his cock so big and exposed and free, so ready for me. I couldn't help but gaze hungrily at it, beyond satisfied by what I saw. He spread my legs wide, holding them against the bed with his biceps, keeping his weight against mine.

  "I'm gonna fuck you until you don't remember your name," he said, just as I felt the tip of his cock parting me, entering me so slowly, so delicately it was like prolonged torture.

  "Please," I said.

  My eyes closed even tighter than before as he went deeper and deeper inside of me, my hands gripping his back, my nails most likely indiscriminately carving up his back flesh. The muscles tightened inside of me, fitting him like a glove. Although he was big, it felt so right I couldn't believe it.

  After he was totally inside, he paus
ed, lowering to kiss me. There was that taste of rum again, dancing against my tongue. I kissed him so hard, and then his hips started to rock, his intensity right on the brink of pain, but never exceeding my threshold.

  He was everything I had needed for so long.

  "You're perfect," he growled.

  "So are you," I whispered desperately.

  Jesse took me hard, almost forcefully, pressing and rocking my body against the bed. His hands kept my legs wide, and they battled his strength as bliss pulsed inside of me. Every so often, he clutched at my shaking breasts, gripping tightly, the pleasure from my nipples synchronizing with the rest of my body.

  Everything was so overwhelmingly good I could barely make any sense of it. My breaths came in tiny, useless gulps as he continued to blow my mind. Every so often, I opened my eyes to look back into his vicious, hungry eyes, sinking into that predatory look as he took me with such matchless power.

  Harder and harder he thrust, his shaft grazing my clit with every fluid motion. I was wetter than I'd ever been in my life, the sounds of sex so audible as we groaned and rocked and moaned. I cried out again and again, totally unconcerned by who might hear me through the walls.

  I didn't care. I was lost in the moment, swimming in a roaring sea of pleasure, drowning in the unrelenting waves of unbridled lust and passion.

  Jesse shifted his weight forward, pressing my arms against the bed, holding me down. "I've always wanted you. And now you're all mine," he declared, every deep thrust proving just how much he meant it.

  I was definitely all his.

  We both started to sweat from the intensity. He went deeper and deeper, reaching parts of me I never even knew existed. My muscles clenched him, cradled him, begged him to come back every time he left. In and out, over and over again. It felt so good, like sexual perfection.

  Jesse leaned forward, maintaining his perfect rhythm. His eager hands cupped my breasts as he positioned his face right next to my ear. "You're gonna cum for me now," he said, "and I'm gonna watch your face as it happens."

  Before I even realized, his hand was down below, his fingers pressed against my clit. He deftly circled, matching our existing cadence perfectly. I felt my body rushing over the edge, my desperate, tired, needy body finally giving in to him. He pulled it right out of me, exactly how he wanted.