He looks deep into my eyes. “Taylor, do you need money, because what’s mine is yours. Just say the word and—”
“No,” I say quickly. “I don’t need your money. I enjoy earning my own money.”
“Okay. Step back when you can. As soon as possible. I believe in you. You can do this.” When he says it like that, with his mouth against the top of my head and his strong arms holding me close, I can almost believe him. I can just step off the Fame Machine and be with him. I can imagine a life with him, away from the public eye. Maybe a house somewhere pretty, with a garden I can tend to and a room I can use as a library. We can curl up with a blanket and a cup of tea in that room on rainy days. I can enjoy my life. I can just about see it if I squeeze my eyes closed tight enough.
I can’t walk around with my eyes closed all the time, now, can I?
“Thank you for believing in me the way you do,” I whisper. It’s all I can say. It sounds lame, trite, but I feel like I have to say something. I wish I could tell him the truth. Things are going so well, the threat of pushing him away and losing the beautiful moment we’re in is enough to shut my mouth.
We stay that way for a long time until our breathing falls in sync and the only thing I can hear is his heart beating under my ear. His strong, steady heartbeat. It lulls me into a deep, soft sleep full of dreams. For once, they’re beautiful dreams. Dreams of love and fulfillment, connection to somebody other than another lost soul like me. Somebody real, somebody substantial, somebody I can lean on when I need a little extra strength. Somebody like Cole. I dream about loving Cole, and him loving me.
Cole
I wake up to the sensation of something delicate trailing on my shoulder. I open my eyes and look into Taylor’s face. I look around me in confusion. The whole place is lit with candles and Taylor is wearing a white babydoll nightie. For a few seconds, I think I’m still asleep and dreaming.
Then she smiles, a slow sexy smile. I touch her hair. It is gleaming in the flickering candlelight. “One day, do you think you can grow your hair back to how it was?”
She smiles. “Like Rapunzel?”
“The way it was before. Sometimes I dream that we are teenagers again and we’re in your treehouse, your gold hair is spread out under your body. It was so beautiful, Taylor. You were like a living angel on that dark wood.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe, I’ll grow it back.”
“Did you wake up because you were horny?”
She nods slowly.
“You wanted something in particular, didn’t you?”
She nods again, her cheeks flushing.
“Give me a show, Taylor. You know I can never ever get enough of looking at your body.”
I watch hungrily as she gets off the bed and goes to stand in front of me. Slowly and sensuously, she begins to gyrate while lifting the edges of her babydoll gear. I catch a glimpse of white cotton panties. They are tight and show the shape of her pussy. Suddenly, I am rock hard. She slips her fingers into the waistband of her panties and drags them down her thighs. Now she is bare under the transparent nightie. She turns around and bends from the waist. With all the stage work she is very limber. It’s the first time in eight years since I’ve seen Taylor’s pussy from this angle.
I nearly lose it.
Her pussy pouts beneath her lush bottom. Fuck, she’s so turned on, her slit is practically steaming with her juices. She turns her head, looks at me. Her eyes are ablaze with sexual lust, with a power-lust as well. She knows, right now, she has me wrapped up around her little finger, exactly where she wants me.
She wriggles her butt suggestively, and I swear, I’ve never wanted to run face first into anything so much in my life. The urge to grab that nubile body and ram my cock into her is almost more than I can bear, but I asked for a show, so I force myself to lie there and just drool at my proud beauty while she does her thing … and drives me insane.
Utterly naked, she crawls towards me on her hands and knees. I grab her by her waist, haul her up, and sit her on my chest. Slowly, she rubs her wet pussy on my body. The sweet smell of her intoxicates me. She swings herself around, deliberately raising one leg over my head in a graceful, dancer’s arc, giving me a completely unobstructed and very, very close view of her glistening pussy. She lets me ogle it for a few seconds before ending her maneuver.
A soft hand reaches for my cock and strokes it with maddening slowness, tracing each vein, her fingers whispering over the stretched skin. She bends forward and wraps her warm mouth over my cockhead. My balls clench with anticipation. Her soft fingers cup and squeeze my sack. Devilishly she drags her fingernails with torturous slowness along the tender skin. Delicately, her mouth moves down my shaft and I groan as I feel the silk of her mouth bathing every inch of me.
All the way down.
I feel my cockhead slip into the heat of her throat. Until her nose is buried in the nest of my pubic hair. She sucks me until it is clear to her that anymore of that and I will shoot my load. She lets my cock slide out of her mouth and turns back to look at me. Her expression is intense. “I want your cock in my ass, Cole. I kept it for you all these years. I want you to stretch me again. Stretch me to my limit.”
Then she leans forward and picks up a bottle of oil that she has left by the bedside and hands it to me. Then she gets back on her hands and knees and waits for me. I move forward, my cock aching, and she squirms. Her pussy is dripping and her thighs are slick, but it is not her pussy she wants me to service. My hand trembles as I reach out to caress the soft skin of her ass. It’s been so long. So long. Goose bumps rise on her skin and run down her thighs. Slowly, I open her cheeks and expose her tiny rose. I love looking at her puckered little hole. It is so pretty.
As she feels the heat of my gaze she moans with impatience. I can feel her trembling as she pushes her ass backward. I lift the bottle and pour a steady stream of oil over the crack. She freezes. I smear the oil over my finger. Very gently I push the finger into her.
She screams and her body begins to shake. As my finger slips into her body, her hole begins to pulse. I know what it wants. It wants to be stretched. She stays very still as I pull out of her. My finger comes out with a popping sound. Her ass closes in on itself.
“Hurry,” she whispers fiercely, mad with desire. She has to have it inside her.
She stays very still while I separate her cheeks and center the tip of my throbbing cock at her entrance. My cock looks way too big to enter her. Her hole looks impossibly small and defenseless to take me in.
“Cole, please, get inside me,” she begs.
She makes a strange animal sound of pain as the bulbous head of my cock tries to penetrate her. The muscles of her sphincter resist and I become still. The head is always the most difficult. I see her take a deep breath and relax her body, before pushing back against the head of my cock. The crown slips in, her breath comes out in a great rush, and her muscles grip my cock in a warm hug.
Slowly, her anal canal opens to welcome me deeper into her body as I slide in succulent inch by succulent inch. When my balls become wet from contact with her wet pussy, I stop moving and allow her to get used to the intrusion.
My whole cock is inside her, and the only sound in the room is the sound of her harsh breathing. Slowly, I begin to move inside her hot canal.
“I’m ready,” she groans.
She has adjusted and I no longer have to go slow or be gentle. I pull out almost to the tip and ram all the way back in. She screams not in pain, but pure pleasure. The nerve endings inside her are being stimulated. Sweat streams down my temples as I begin to thrust faster and faster until I’m pounding into her tight ass without any reservations. I’m so horny taking her sweet ass that I can’t hold back. Reaching forward I start playing with her soaking clit.
“Cum in my ass,” she grunts as I feel her going over the edge.
Just at that my cock swells up and pumps thick sperm deep inside her as she screams out h
er own climax. Every intense convulsion milks my cock. She shudders as my hot cum pours into her. When the last of my seed has been squeezed out into her overflowing canal I lean forward and kiss her neck gently.
I love you, I want to say, but I don’t. There is no rush. I have always loved her and always will.
The right time will come.
Until it does I’ll take it slow and easy.
Taylor
17 Years Old
“Cole?” I ask, immediately recognizing the shape of the person lurking in the shadows. “What are you doing out here? It’s cold.”
His back faces me and he sways from side to side. “Do you actually think we can do this?” he asks. I notice a slur in his voice and my jaw drops.
“Are you … drunk?” I gasp, charging in his direction. I grab his arm and spin him around to face me. Jesus Christ, he is so drunk he can barely stand. His breath reeks of alcohol. I’ve never seen him like this before. “What the hell, Cole?”
“This is a big recording studio. We don’t have a chance,” he slurs, losing his balance and using the wall to keep himself upright. I grab him around the waist and attempt to hold him up. My mind is spinning with shock.
“Why do you think that?” I ask, staring at him with astonishment. This is not him. No way. He is always the one who thinks we can reach for the sky.
Cole shakes his head and grabbing me pushes me into the wall he was using to keep himself upright. I stand between his unsteady figure and the concrete wall, my lovely dress getting crushed. “Why don’t we just leave and try again another time. It’s not like it matters.”
“It’s not like it matters?” I echo in disbelief. “We’ve practiced every day for years and have never taken a day off. Even when I lost my voice, we worked on writing a new song. We can do this. Where’s your guitar? If we don’t go in now, we’re going to be late,” I say, trying to push him backward. This is unlike him. He has always been so supportive, but something has changed.
He pushes me back into the wall when I try to escape and I notice his eyes for the first time since seeing him. They don’t even look like his eyes. They are bloodshot and dead. The only distinguishable emotion within them is lust. “I left it at home. I’m not doing this, Taylor,” he says.
I gawk at him, then push him away harder this time, not caring if I knock him off balance. He deserves it for chickening out on me. “What the hell is the matter with you? Why are you doing this now?” I shout.
“I saw the light, Taylor.”
I shake my head. “Light? What light?”
“I don’t want to do this.”
“But this is our big dream. Our big chance.”
“This isn’t our big dream. It’s yours. I’m already rich and I don’t give a shit about being famous,” he says, not meeting my eyes. “If you want it that badly you can do it alone.”
My mind spins. I have never felt so betrayed. I shake my head and take a step away from him. “If that’s how you really feel why did you pretend all this while and lead me on?” I begin.
Something flashes in his eyes. “I didn’t pretend. I just changed my mind.”
“Well, I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.” I am hardly able to keep my tears at bay as I push past my best friend, or rather my ex-best friend. Even then, I can’t leave, I turn around one last time. “Are you sure, Cole? Because you can’t change your mind.”
“I won’t change my mind,” he says, his voice hard.
Then something occurs to me. I lift my hand towards him. “Look, if you’re nervous, we’ll sing something simple. We don’t have to do the new song.”
He laughs harshly. “Don’t you get it, Taylor? I’m not nervous. I just don’t want to be your sidekick anymore.”
“What about all your promises to take care of me and love me forever?” I whisper.
He can’t meet my eyes. “I was kid. What the hell did I know?” he mutters, turning his face away from me.
His words are like a knife in my chest. I turn away from him then. I walk to the hall, my heart bleeding. For a second I stand outside the choir hall doors, brushing my hands down my dress.
If he isn't here for me, I’ll be here for myself. I’m not canceling my once in a lifetime opportunity because of him. I stand outside the audition room doors and take a deep breath. Even without Cole in my life, I plan on making something of myself. I’m not giving up on my dream. I’m leaving this god forsaken town and reaching for the stars.
I don’t need him. I don’t need anybody. Fuck him. I’ll make it on my own. One day I’ll become a big star. He’ll be sorry then. He’ll want me back, but I’ll spit in his face. Taking a deep breath, I grasp the handle of the door and walk inside. A big fake smile on my face.
Cole
I have appointments this morning. At the very least I should call and ask my secretary to cancel. Isn’t that what people do? They meet up with their long-lost loves, reconnect and hell, they might even perform in front of a hundred people or so. Then get back to real life because real life doesn’t end just because they like the way a woman’s hair smells. The way she smiles. The way she laughs. The way she exists.
I lie there in Taylor’s bed and stare at the ceiling. She’s in my arms, still asleep, drooling a little on my chest. I don’t even care. I’m the guy who normally kicks a woman out of bed roughly forty-five seconds after I’m finished. I’d let her drown me in her drool if it meant spending more time with her.
I watch as dappled light filters into the bedroom through the leaves on the trees outside the window. I can see the shadows dancing above us. If I lie here long enough, holding her the way I am, it’s possible that the rest of my life will fall away and go on without me. I’ll be able to be with her, just this way, as long as we both live.
It’s incredible. I had money, power, respect, social standing, but life was boring and meaningless. I told myself I had it all under control, the way I always do. Everything scheduled, contained, categorized. To be honest, I was almost content with that control. I convinced myself I didn’t need anything else. Then she came back to town and here I am, willing to walk away from it all for her.
I won’t let her go again. Never. It was hard enough the first time. I’m grabbing this second chance with both hands.
She stirs and rubs her eyes. While she’s doing that, I wipe the drool off my bare chest with the corner of the sheet before she sees it. Yet another thing I wouldn’t do for anybody else.
“Good morning,” she whispers in a sweet, sleepy voice. “God, I must look a mess. I didn’t even take off my makeup.”
She looks beautiful. Perfect. Even with the smudged mascara and messy hair. “Don’t worry about it. You look great.”
Her cheeks turn pink like magic. “It’s cramped on this bed, isn’t it? How did you sleep?”
Like hell, because I couldn’t stop thinking about you long enough to fall asleep for more than a few minutes at a time. “Great. You?”
“Fantastic. Best night’s sleep I’ve had in years.”
She’s not lying the way I am, either. God, everything’s so perfect. Why can’t things be like this all the time? Why did we have to miss all the years together? I remember why, and bitterness swells up in my chest. It’s better not to think about that.
Instead, I smile. “What do you wanna do today?”
Her mouth falls open a little as she blinks in surprise. “Uh, I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it.” She pushes her hair around with her hands. An old nervous gesture. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to spend time with me if you have other things to do.”
“I don’t feel like I have to do anything. I want to do this. I want to be with you today—that is, if you want to.” What’s this cautious dance we’re doing? Moving around each other, being careful, taking our time to make sure we don’t step on each other’s toes. Eight years will do that, I guess. We have to relearn the steps.
Her eyes light up. “Sure, I would
love to hang out again. What do you wanna do?”
Good question. I didn’t think things through that far. “I don’t know. It looks like a beautiful day outside.”
She looks out at the blue, cloudless sky. “It does. We should get out and do something.”
“I thought you wanted to avoid the public.”
“I didn’t say we have to go to the mall or anything.”
“Damn. I really wanted to go shopping today, too. There’s a great shoe sale going on.”
“As much as I hate to make you miss a really good bargain …” The next thing I know, I’m ducking the small pillow she swings at me and I’m picking up a pillow and hitting her with it. Before long, we’re both on the floor rolling around, wrestling and laughing just like we used to.
That’s when it hits me. I know what we should do.
Cole
“I can’t believe you remembered this place.” She stands with her hands on her hips at the edge of the lake, smiling from ear to ear, eyes sparkling. Eyes as blue as the sky. I could stare into them all day, especially when she’s as happy as she is now.
“You mean you forgot all the times we spent here?” I spread a blanket out on the grass and go back to the trunk to pull out the basket she packed.
“How could I forget that?” She’s blushing a little when I get back to where she’s waiting, and I don’t think it’s because of the slight chill in the breeze coming off the water. “You’re the first person I ever went skinny dipping with.”
“The first and only?” I ask, cocking one eyebrow.
“Uh, no. Just the first.” She smirks as she sits cross-legged on the blanket. “Nice try, though.”
I move so fast she gasps when she lands on her back with me on top of her. The sunlight shines into her eyes making them appear like sparkling gemstones. “Why do you like to lie to me?”
The Promise Page 7