by Zoe Chant
The knowledge had hit Alan with the force of a punch to the chest. It had knocked the air out of him, left him reeling. His mate. He'd been looking for such a long time. He'd almost given up hope that it would ever happen.
He barely remembered now what he'd said to her, the first couple of minutes. He hoped he hadn't embarrassed himself. His head had still been ringing with the blow of recognition. On top of that, he'd been horribly aware that he wasn't exactly presenting himself to best advantage, sweaty and streaked with dirt from the garden, his shirt crumpled on the floor beside him. Especially since Jessica was perfectly put together in a tailored pant suit and heels.
He'd been very glad when Squeak gave him an excuse to duck inside and scrub up a little. He'd grinned at himself in the mirror, helplessly, a hot glow of joy growing inside his chest. His mate. He'd finally found her.
Jessica paid careful attention as he showed her around the farm. He could almost see her making mental notes of everything he told her. She picked things up quickly, too; he never had to tell her anything twice. Alan caught herself watching her, the curve of her back when she reached up to a high shelf, the way the jeans hugged her thighs. He made himself look away before she could catch him staring. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.
Finally Jessica's grumbling stomach reminded both of them they were hungry. Alan was suddenly fiercely glad he'd thought to stock the refrigerator. He'd only meant it as a polite gesture, but now it felt right on a bone-deep level: he'd provided for his mate as he ought to. Getting to make a meal for her was even better.
Jessica was clearly not a practiced cook, and almost anxiously apologetic about her lack of kitchen expertise. Alan wondered who'd taught her that perfectionist streak. He was getting the distinct impression there was at least one person in Jessica's life who'd set her some damn hard-to-meet standards.
They ate at the little table on the patio, the last rays of the setting sun turning the air golden around them. Jessica watched with big eyes as Alan piled their plates high: steaks and colorful skewers of onions, eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms.
"That looks amazing," she said. The steaks had come out perfect, caramelized on the outside, tender and pink inside. Alan watched as Jessica took her first bite and then closed her eyes in bliss. Inside Alan, the bear rumbled in satisfaction at having pleased his mate.
"This is the best thing I've eaten in… God, I can't even remember the last time I've eaten anything this good," Jessica said. "I've been so stressed lately, it's been all take-out and microwave meals."
Alan smiled. "I'm glad you like it." He was already plotting out meals for the next couple of days. He could make a risotto with the last of the squash from Sally's garden, maybe some baked salmon the day after that…
Stop it, he told himself. He couldn't just invite himself over for dinner three days in a row, even if he was the one cooking it. Don't come on too strong and scare her away. But he hated the idea of his mate stuck eating takeout or heating up some terrible microwave meal when he could be taking care of her.
Patience. You'll have time to show her what she means to you.
There was an old swing on the porch, a little creaky but still sturdy, upholstered with colorful pillows. "Do you want to stay outside for a bit? It's such a nice evening," Alan said.
Jessica smiled at him. "I'd love to."
***
Alan started a fire in the small brazier in the middle of the porch. They settled side by side in the swing, each of them with a glass of wine. Jessica looked out into the darkening garden. The first stars were already visible near the horizon. All around them, cicadas chirped. Squeak slept in her basket beside them, occasionally letting out tiny mewls in her sleep.
Jessica closed her eyes for a moment, breathing in the smell of leaves and flowers, the faintly spicy tang of wood smoke from their fire. The swing shifted gently back and forth every time one of them moved.
She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this much at peace. No pressing deadline, no inbox full of projects… nothing but quiet and nature all around them. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, feeling all the tension flow out of her body with the air.
Alan was sitting close enough that she could feel his warmth against her side. His shoulder brushed hers every time one of them moved.
She tilted her head a little, watching him from the corner of her eyes. In the fading light, his warm brown eyes looked almost black, and the shadow of stubble on his chin had grown darker.
God, he was gorgeous. The next time the swing moved, she let herself shift a tiny bit closer, letting her thigh brush against his. She wanted to touch him so badly, to put her hand on his leg, to lean over and steal a kiss…
Stop it, she told herself. He was so far out of her league it wasn't even funny. Not just gorgeous, but also charming, kind, and a billionaire. What possible interest could he have in an overweight, stressed-out lawyer?
Alan shifted beside her, laying his arm across the back of the swing so it brushed lightly against her shoulders. He's just getting comfortable, Jessica told herself sternly. But it was so close to a hug; if she tilted her head back, she could lean it against his powerful biceps…
"Jessica?" Alan asked quietly, startling her out of her thoughts.
"Yes?"
She turned to face him.
The corner of Alan's mouth quirked into a tiny smile. "Stop me if you don't want this, okay?"
And then he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
Jessica's breath caught.
It was so much like her secret fantasies, for a moment she couldn't believe it was really happening. Alan's lips were soft and very warm against hers. He was already beginning to draw back when she finally managed to recover from her shock and started kissing him back.
Alan let out a quiet groan and deepened the kiss. He reached out, drawing her closer.
Jessica's mind was whirling. This seemed almost too good to be true: the beautiful summer evening, Alan's warm hand on her shoulder, his scent filling her senses. How long had it been since she'd kissed a man? How long had it been since she'd been touched at all? It felt like every inch of her skin was waking up beneath Alan's touch, as if her body was starving for him.
Alan slid his hand down her back. She could feel his warmth through the thin material of her shirt. When his fingers slid below the hem and brushed her naked skin, an electric shiver went through her. She gasped.
She was clinging to Alan's shoulders with both hands, kissing him with a sudden hunger that almost scared her with its intensity. It felt like a dam had broken inside her, and years of loneliness were taking their toll all at once.
Alan caught her by the hips and lifted her into his lap, so quickly and smoothly she found herself kneeling over him before she'd even realized what had happened. Jessica let out a startled laugh. She didn't even know how he'd done that; she was a heavy woman, and it'd been an awkward angle, not to mention the fact that the swing was rocking gently beneath them, throwing off her balance. He shouldn't have been able to lift her at all under those circumstances, never mind so effortlessly. But then Alan's mouth was back on hers, and she stopped thinking about it.
She could feel Alan's strong thighs tensing and flexing between hers. Her breasts pressed against his broad chest. For a moment she held herself awkwardly up above him, not wanting to crush him with her weight. But Alan's hands on her back encouraged her to settle down comfortably.
When she did, she realized how well they fit together. Alan was taller than her and broader, all strong powerful muscle. The sheer size of him meant she could fit in his lap without any awkwardness at all. For once in her life she didn't have to feel too large, or too heavy.
Every time the slow rhythmic rocking of the swing pushed them together Jessica felt Alan's cock pushing against her belly. She could feel the heat of it even through the layers of their clothes. An answering heat was gathering between her legs, a hot, throbbing ache. She pressed he
rself against him. Alan groaned, his hips bucking.
"Do you want to go inside?" Jessica asked breathlessly.
"Yeah," Alan said. His voice was a low, deep rumble she could feel in her chest. His eyes were nearly black with desire. Jessica realized she'd have to get off him so he could get up, and was just starting to brace herself for it—she didn't want to let go, not even for a second—when Alan spread his hands below her thighs and simply lifted her, standing up with Jessica in his arms as easily as if she weighed nothing at all.
Jessica gasped, surprised. "How did you—"
Alan hesitated, looking almost embarrassed. "I do a lot of work around the farm."
He bent down to kiss her again, and Jessica promptly lost the thread of her thoughts.
They stumbled into the bedroom, both of them still tangled up in each other, stopping every few steps to steal a few more kisses. Jessica yanked the blankets off the bed and fell down onto the crisp white sheets, pulling Alan down on top of her. He braced himself so he wouldn't squash her. Jessica stole an appreciative glance at the way his biceps flexed.
She started undoing Alan's buttons one by one. His chest was a work of art, smooth tan skin over muscles that could have been sculpted by a master. She ran her hands over his pecs and down, feeling the flex of his abs beneath her fingers. God, he was gorgeous. What did a man like that want with a woman like her?
Jessica blushed as Alan started undoing the buttons of her blouse in turn, pushing the fabric aside to reveal her soft belly and the rolls of fat bunched above her pants. She fought down the urge to say something apologetic. Her body was the way it was, and if he didn't like it, he could just—
"You're gorgeous," Alan said, thoroughly derailing her train of thought. She stared at him. There wasn't a trace of mockery in his voice. The expression on his face was full of awe. Jessica squirmed a little under his intent attention. No one had ever looked at her like that.
Alan bent down to kiss the top of her breasts. Jessica could feel her nipples tightening into hard peaks. The soft lace of her bra suddenly felt prickly and intense on her newly sensitive skin.
Alan cupped her breasts in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. Jessica's back arched. A breathy moan escaped her. "Your breasts are perfect," Alan said. He kissed his way downwards. "I really, really, really love all those gorgeous curves you have," he said, peppering kisses over her stomach between words.
Jessica felt heat gather in her cheeks. She'd never liked anyone paying attention to her stomach before. She'd always hated how soft it was, the faint stretch marks on her sides, the way her jeans struggled to fit. But with Alan kissing her so reverently, she couldn't doubt that he meant what he was saying: her body was sexy to him just the way it was.
Alan pressed one last kiss to the soft flesh of her lower stomach and then popped the button on her jeans, slowly dragging the zipper down, revealing the top of her panties. He kissed the lacy edging of the hem and then nuzzled further down, pushing the fabric down by inches. Jessica felt a surge of wetness between her legs. Her pussy throbbed hungrily. She arched her hips so Alan could slide her jeans down off her thighs.
Alan dropped her pants on the floor and sat back on his heels, looking at her spread out on the bed in nothing but her bra and panties. "God, you're beautiful," he said, in a low, rough voice. "Let me?" he asked, and gently spread her legs open, his big hands warm and sure on the inside of her thighs. In that moment, Jessica would've let him do anything he wanted, anything at all. Alan stretched out on his stomach between her legs and started kissing his way up, from the side of her knee to just below the crotch of her panties. Jessica's breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. She knew she had to be soaking wet, and with the way Alan was lying, he couldn't possibly miss it.
"Oh God, please," she said.
Alan kissed her through her panties, putting his mouth right where the fabric was already soaked through. Jessica's back arched. She spread her legs a little wider. Alan licked her through the fabric, pressing his tongue firmly against her clit until Jessica's hips were pushing rhythmically back against his mouth, desperate for more, half mad with the tease of feeling his touch muffled by fabric.
And then Alan finally pulled her panties down and put his mouth right on her, and Jessica couldn't suppress a cry. Alan licked a hot wet stripe over her clit and started sucking. Jessica writhed, pleasure flooding through her in waves. God, it had been so long, and Alan was so much better at this than anyone else she'd ever been with. She could hardly think. The universe had narrowed down to nothing but the feeling of Alan's mouth on her.
Alan slipped his hand between her legs and started teasing her with one finger, stroking feather-light over her entrance while his tongue stroked firm circles over her clit. "Please," Jessica said again. She desperately wanted him inside her.
Alan's finger slid in easily on her wetness. It felt so damn good to have something to clench down on, even before he crooked his finger inside her and started massaging her from the inside in a way that made her see stars.
Jessica came with a scream, both hands clenching hard in the sheets, her thighs tightening around Alan's shoulders. Alan kept his mouth on her while it lasted, licking and stroking her until she became so sensitive she had to twitch away, shuddering. Alan gave her clit one last, gentle kiss that sent a shiver through her entire body before he eased back.
Jessica collapsed limply back onto the sheets, reaching blindly for Alan's shoulders. He let her pull him up into a kiss, his body warm and close above hers. She could feel his cock against her hip, rock-hard, the tip of it damp with pre-come. But Alan didn't try to hurry her along, he just kissed her, slow and tender, while she came down from the shattering orgasm he'd just given her. He was holding himself very still, only the occasional faint twitch of his hips and the tension in his shoulders betraying how turned on he was.
She could taste herself on his lips. Already heat was beginning to pulse between her thighs again, although she still felt so sensitive she didn't think she could bear to be touched quite yet.
Jessica reached down and curled her hand around Alan's cock, feeling the heat of it in her palm. Alan gasped, thrusting into her grip. Jessica tightened her fingers, sliding her thumb over the slick head of his cock. She could feel Alan's muscles tightening with every minute motion of her fingers, feel the muscles in his hips bunch with barely-restrained strength as Alan fought to hold himself still. It was a heady feeling of power, knowing what she was doing to him, how much even the slightest touch affected him.
Alan slowly drew a single finger up the inside of her thigh, teasing, until he could run his fingertips over her slick pussy. Jessica shuddered all over, squirming with overstimulation, every nerve in her body waking up and taking notice again; and then the feeling of being almost too sensitive to be touched turned all at once to a sudden, desperate hunger.
"Come on," Jessica said, letting her thighs fall open to make space for him. "I want you."
Alan gave a low, quiet groan. He pulled a condom out of his wallet and rolled it on while Jessica waited breathlessly, her hips rocking slightly. He pushed inside her in one long, smooth stroke.
Both of them groaned. God, he felt amazing, big enough to fill her perfectly. She wrapped her legs around Alan's hips and pulled him into the rhythm she wanted, her hands tightening on his shoulders. Alan slid one hand between their bodies to tease at her clit with his thumb.
Jessica tightened around him. She wasn't going to last long. The pleasure was washing over her like a long, slow wave, rising and rising, taking her higher. But that was all right; Alan was close, too, she could tell. His thrusts were getting harder, hitting her perfectly right where she needed it. Jessica tightened around him, letting the wave take her until it crested. She felt the twitch of Alan's cock inside her just as she reached her own climax. They came together, both of them holding on tightly to each other, finding each other's mouths in a blind, desperate kiss.
They curled up in each other
's arms, their bodies still shuddering with the aftershocks of pleasure.
"That was incredible," Jessica said. She'd never even imagined that sex could be this good.
Alan gathered her tighter into his arms and pressed a wordless kiss to her shoulder. Jessica nestled closer into his heat. "Stay with me tonight?" she asked.
"Of course," Alan said immediately.
The knot of nerves that had begun to gather in her chest immediately loosened again. This had all happened so quickly. She could barely believe it had happened at all. Jessica hadn't ever had a one-night-stand before in her life. If you'd told her a week ago that she'd be falling into bed with a man just hours after she'd met him, she'd have laughed.
But with Alan it had felt not just right, but almost inevitable. She couldn't regret it for a second. She could only hope that he felt something of the same overwhelming sense of rightness that she did.
Jessica shifted slightly so she could press herself full-length against Alan. It felt like her entire body was soaking up his closeness and the warmth of his skin. She hadn't been touched in so long.
Alan wrapped his arm around her, spreading his big warm hand between her shoulder blades and gathering her closer until she was half lying on his chest. "Let me know if you get uncomfortable. I don't want to crush you," Jessica said. She knew she was a big woman, although Alan's size and strength meant that for once in her life, she didn't feel oversized or awkward compared to the man in bed with her.
Alan gave a low laugh. She felt it rumbling in his chest where her ear was pressed against him. "Actually, this may be the most comfortable I've been in my life," he said.
She fell asleep with her cheek resting on Alan's chest, listening to the low, even beat of his heart, Alan's hard carding gently through her hair.
She woke up some time in the middle of the night. The bed beside her was empty. Her reaching hand found Alan's pillow, still warm from his body. He couldn't have gotten up that long ago.
Jessica sleepily rolled to her feet. The cynical part of her, the part that had been disappointed by men before, wondered whether she was about to catch Alan in the act of sneaking out on her. But the rest of her didn't think so. Maybe this hadn't meant as much to him as it had to her, maybe he did this sort of thing all the time—a man that good-looking and rich, God knew he'd have opportunity enough. But even if all he'd wanted was a one-night-stand, she didn't think he'd be the kind of man who'd sneak out in the middle of the night.