All the Way In

by Betsy Locke

  We walked through the streets of Paris and I enjoyed staring at all the French people I passed. They were dressed in less layers than me but seemed fine in this frozen winter. All they needed was a small coat and scarf.

  “This is so cool,” I said, my head permanently fixed looking upwards. I suddenly didn't feel tired anymore. This was exactly the shot in the arm that I needed.

  Nolan took my hand. “Almost there, Grace.”

  Butterflies rushed through me at his touch. I don't know why this was happening now. I'd known Nolan for so long and it was never like this.

  “Here it is.” He pulled me into a tall and skinny building squished in between two hotels. “We just have to take an elevator up.”

  The elevator was the tiniest one I'd ever seen. We could barely fit the two of us in there with my luggage. Nolan hit the the button for the top floor and we started to go up.

  We were standing so close together that I could hear his heart pound in his chest.

  Or was that my heart beating?

  The doors slid open and Nolan popped his keys out. He unlocked the second-to last-door that said: 405. “This is it. Before we go in. I just want you to know that it isn't much.”

  Nolan opened the door and we entered. His entire place was about the size of my bedroom back home. There wasn't much furniture except for a queen-sized bed and a painting easel to the side in front of a window.

  The kitchen couldn't even be called a kitchen. There was an electric burner and a mini fridge. Not even a dishwasher.

  “Wow this place is so sweet! I love the slanted ceiling and the wood floors. It feels very European.”

  “I know it's small but it's all I can afford right now.”

  “It's perfect for you.” I looked around and thought that something was missing. “Do you have a bathroom.”

  “You're going to laugh when you see it,” he replied, walking into the kitchen. He opened what looked like a pantry door.

  The bathroom was just about the size of a airplane bathroom. Just a little bigger to fit the smallest shower known to man. The sink didn't even look big enough to put your hands under the faucet.

  I had to stifle a laugh. “It's very cozy,” I said.

  “This was seriously the best place I could find.”

  I walked over to the window that overlooked the street. People were walking on the sidewalks below. “You can't beat this view though.”

  “Sometimes I just stare outside all day. It can be addicting.”

  I turned to the painting on the easel that depicted the scene right out the window. “This is incredible. It's breathtaking. The colors are so different.”

  “Thank you. I figured I should paint my view so I'll have something to remember when I have to go back home.”

  “How is art school going anyways? I can see by this painting that you've improved a lot since you've been home.”

  Nolan sat down on the edge of his bed. “A whole lot of pressure to be creative. I've never had to rack my brain so hard to come up with ideas. You feel like you need to be constantly inventive every day. It can be very exhausting.”

  “I can imagine,” I replied.

  “Speaking of school, I have to go to class soon. Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

  I frowned. “That sucks. I thought we were going to be spending a lot of time together.”

  Nolan grinned. “Don't worry. I don't have any classes tonight or tomorrow. We'll have plenty of time together. We can get dinner when I get back. I'm going to cook you the best pasta dinner ever. And I'll bring home some wine.”

  His smile could always put me at ease. “That sounds amazing.”

  “What are you going to do in the meantime?”

  I looked around. “I don't know. I guess I'll go out and explore the city.”

  Nolan fumbled around in a stack of papers. “Here's a map of the city. I wrote down my address in the corner. But don't worry. It's almost impossible to get lost here with all the signs.”

  “Yeah I'll be fine. Thank you.”

  Nolan grabbed a bag and winked at me before leaving.

  Time to explore.

  Chapter Three

  I didn't have anywhere specific to go. At least not yet. I wanted Nolan to take me to all the biggest sightseeing spots.

  Today I just wanted to get a feel for the city. I took out a jacket from my luggage and layered myself even further. I wasn't going to let the cold prevent me from enjoying myself.

  I stepped out and onto the sidewalk. I didn't know which way to go so I followed the direction of foot traffic.

  I couldn't get enough of the atmosphere. It was completely different than back home. I felt like I had traveled back in time two hundred years. I couldn't help but imagine what it was like to live back then with horses and carriages instead of cars.

  I passed by a bakery and the smells immediately made me u-turn and walk in. The place was small with a display case of various breads and pastries. I couldn't remember the last time I ate a real meal. With the time change, things got very confusing.

  The woman behind the counter started talking to me in French. I cursed myself for not even learning the basic greeting words. I shook my head at her and she understood that I didn't know what she was saying.

  “Would you like something?” she asked in fairly good English.

  “Oh you speak English?”

  “A little,” she replied.

  I looked back at the various breads and pastries. “Can I get one of those?” I pointed to a chocolate croissant.

  She smiled and bagged the pastry. “Two euros please.”

  I suddenly froze and my entire body turned red. I hadn't exchanged my money yet. My stepbrother had bought my train ticket. I opened my purse, hoping for some euros to magically appear but all I had was green American money. This was already going to be the most embarrassing moment of the trip and I'd barely been here for long.

  “I'm sorry. I just got in a couple hours ago. I need to go exchange money first. I'll be right back.”

  “No. You can have.” She handed me the bag.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Enjoy Paris,” she replied.

  I thanked her over and over again and walked back outside. I ate the warm croissant as I explored the city. I popped into a bookstore and admired the very old books.

  I came to an ATM and knew that this was the best chance to exchange money. I scoffed at the fee but I had to do it.

  The paper money and coins were so exciting to me. The designs were so much more colorful and creative than the leftover cash I had in my purse.

  I went to a cafe on the corner and ordered a vanilla latte. I sat in the warm coffee shop and watched people walk by the window for hours.

  It would be perfect if I could sit outside and people watch but that would be crazy in this weather.

  I opened up my map and realized that I had gone pretty far from Nolan's apartment. I didn't know what time his classes were over but it would take me a little while to get back there so I needed to start now.

  I followed the Seine river through the city and watched the boats sail on it. It was one of the most beautiful sights. I could sit by the water all day long.

  I returned to Nolan's and used the spare key he gave me. The place was so small it was easy to know when you were all alone.

  I instantly regretted not staying outside longer. I probably had a couple hours left until Nolan returned and I had nothing to do.

  A stack of paintings underneath the easel caught my attention. I thought it would be fun to see what Nolan had been up to in the years that I hadn't seen him.

  He was always a great artist but that one of his view out the window was a real improvement. He was going to be able to make a living out of this if he kept it up.

  I bent down and pulled out painting after painting. Each one was better than the next. The river Seine, the Notre Dame, a little book hut on a bridge. I wanted to live in these paintings.

  There
were a couple canvases that were hidden behind the others. I pulled one out and it was a portrait of a woman's face.

  I immediately recognized who it was.

  It was me.

  I pulled out another canvas and again it was of me. This one was me walking through a grassy field. I had such a joyous expression on my face.

  All the rest of them were of me. I laid them all out on the floor and stood up.

  Nolan was able to capture my essence and paint it onto the canvas. They were astounding. I had no idea he thought so much about me. We had spent so much time together and these forbidden feelings for him were pushed down deep.

  They were bubbling up to the surface now and I wouldn't be able to hide them any longer.

  Chapter Four

  How did I not know that Nolan had a thing for me? He was the one I was searching for this entire time and he was right in front of my face. How could I be so stupid?

  Nolan walked through the front door, carrying a bag of groceries and a bottle of wine. “Are you ready to...” He saw me surrounded by the paintings on the ground and stopped in the middle of his sentence. He was frozen in place, not wanting to move or say anything wrong.

  “Why didn't you ever tell me how you felt about me?”

  Nolan set the grocery bag down in the kitchen. There was nowhere for him to escape to. He sighed before starting, “How could I tell you? I wanted to for so long but I knew it was wrong. When I saw the chance to study abroad, I took it. I thought it would get you out of my head.” He pointed to the paintings. “As you can see, it didn't work.”

  I stepped closer to him. I could see the pain in his eyes. I had no idea he was going through this. “You didn't need to run halfway across the world. We could've talked about it and worked things out together.”

  Nolan shook his head. “There's nothing to talk about. I know you don't feel the same way as I do. I just have to bottle up my feelings and keep doing what I'm doing.”

  “You mean paint me over and over again?”

  Nolan started to unload the grocery bag and ignored my question.

  I took another step closer. “And how do you know that I don't feel the same way?”

  Nolan looked up at me and our eyes met. He could see how I felt about him in my eyes. His were glossy and blue, on the verge of tears. He took my hand and slowly pulled me close to him. “I don't know if we should do this.”

  Our lips were only inches away from each other. “It's too late. Nothing can stop this now,” I whispered.

  Nolan kissed me and a detonation went off inside me. A feeling of intense passion. I'd never felt this way before with another man.

  His hands grasped my hips and held me tight as our mouths touched. His tongue slipped past my lips and I moaned, stretching up on my tippy toes.

  Nolan broke away and gasped for breath. “I've been wanting to do that for a long time.”

  My two fingers touched my lips like they were burned. “I wish you would've done that a lot sooner.”

  A hunger came over Nolan and he took me in his arms again and kissed me. His lips moved to my neck and I closed my eyes as he nibbled on me. His body was pressed up against mine, his hard erection pulsing in his pants.

  I reached down and traced the outline of his boner and that made Nolan bite down hard on me. I cried out and squeezed his cock. Nolan tore at my coat until it was off of me but there were still so many layers to go.

  I stopped him from continuing. “Why don't we focus on our own clothes because this might take awhile.”

  Nolan nodded. “Good idea.”

  I took off my gloves and my jacket. Next went my purple sweater and then the long sleeve underneath. I watched Nolan take his pea coat off and then his jacket. He didn't have nearly as many layers on as I did.

  His shirt came off and I inhaled sharply. He must've spent a lot of time at the gym because he looked completely different. Every muscle was defined in the perfect way. Not too big but still looking stacked. Nolan was down to his boxers and I needed to catch up.

  I tugged at my blue jeans and the thermal underwear until all that was left was my black bra and thong. I didn't realize how cold his apartment was until I was half-naked. I tried to cover my skin the best I could but it was freezing.

  “Can we take this to the bed? It's a little chilly in here.”

  Nolan wasn't paying attention but just staring at my chest. He pressed his lips together as his eyes ran over my peaks.

  I started to go towards the bed and Nolan followed me. We jumped under the covers and pressed our warm bodies against each other. It didn't take long for the bed to warm up as his hands felt me all over.

  “Your hands feel so good,” I said, feeling that need in the pit of my stomach grow more and more.

  He squeezed my ass cheeks and moved up to my bra. He unsnapped it and pulled it away to reveal my large breasts. Nolan bent down and buried his face in my tits, sucking on each of my nipples until they became hard and pointy.

  “These big tits are amazing,” he said, his eyes admiring my mounds.

  I reached down and into his boxers. His cock was super hot as I gripped around his thickness. “I never knew you were so big,” I said.

  “Yeah baby, I love it when you stroke me like that.”

  I rubbed his shaft from the tip all the way down to the base. Nolan moaned in my chest as his body jerked.

  His hand moved down to my pubic mound and pressed the thin fabric against my clit.

  I cried out. “I need you now, Nolan. Show me what I've been missing all this time.”

  His grin said it all. He about to show me the time of my life.

  Chapter Five

  His fingers worked their way under my thong and found my button. I clenched his cock with my hand at the sudden injection of pleasure.

  “You like when I touch you?” he asked, rubbing me in circles down there.

  “Yes,” I breathed, my eyes closed, focusing on the intense sensations. I never knew a man could bring me so close to edge with just his fingers.

  Nolan ran his other hand through my hair and kissed me as he rubbed me down there faster.

  The pleasure was riding up a roller coaster and it was going to reach the top soon. “Right there, Nolan! I'm so close!”

  The roller coaster dropped and my orgasm exploded. My legs stretched out and quivered as Nolan brought me to my finish with his fingers.

  I tossed and turned on the bed, my hair covering my face. “Fuck me now, Nolan. I need you inside me.”

  Nolan half stood up on the bed and pulled his boxers down. A humongous cock stood straight up at attention, pulsing up and down for me.

  He was so much bigger than I thought. I knew he was big when I touched him but not this big. No man was this huge.

  Nolan was going to break me in two.