by Raven Scott
“Mikayla said your back isn’t easy to look at . . . and I just sort of imploded, I guess.” Stiffening at her murmur, I paused across from her on the way to the stove, and she slumped a little. “She was goofing around about me sleeping over, and sex, and whatever, and then she asked me if I was afraid because we’re not really physical.”
Disbelief numbed my face, and the smell of chicken parm stung my tongue as it stuck to the roof of my mouth. Lucy sort of grimaced in discomfort, and blood drummed loudly in my ears before she opened her mouth again.
“I accidentally pushed my cart into the shampoo, and . . . I don’t know what happened. I started wiping the shampoo off the floor with my hands and shoving it in my pockets. Then, I threw up everywhere. I’m honestly surprised no one called 9-1-1.” Clenching my jaw hard, I shuffled to the stove to stare at the water droplets streaming down the glass lid. “The ride home was super awkward. She drove me there, and I didn’t want to get a Lyft and put all my stuff in and then take it all out and put it all away.”
“I have no idea how to react to that. Has this happened before?” Glancing over my shoulder to watch her shake her head, my eyelid twitched in agitation, and the scars on my back pulled tight when I inhaled deeply. “Is it about the sex, or my back, or that she was judging you on something she didn’t understand?”
“All of it? When I told her to stop talking about it, she didn’t. I don’t know. She just pushed and pushed, and then told me I felt guilty and asked if I was afraid, and I just . . . snapped. I’m not guilty, and I’m not afraid, and frankly, I wouldn’t say ‘excited’ is a good word. Or ‘eager’.” I exhaled slowly as I quietly, descended on the kitchen, and I pulled the top off the pan to get blasted with heat and the smell of chicken and cheese and sauce. It didn’t distract me, but I knew that was a disservice to Lucy, and she rested her chin on her forearms when I looked back. “That smells really good.”
“Hopefully, it will be.” It hurt to talk. My jaw hurt, my whole face hurt from the tension that gripped my bones. “I didn’t invite you over for sex, Lucy.”
“I know.” That simple answer was followed by one she didn’t say— but we’re going to, anyway. The whole point of tonight was romance; I made one of the only things I knew how to make without burning Which was ironically an Italian dish. I had some moderately expensive wine, again, and Italian wine, and a box of condoms.
Hell, I even did the whole flower petal thing at the top of the stairs. I spent a few days hashing out the details of tonight, and it’d been terrorized before it even started.
“What about you, Mateo? How’s the dogs liking the backyard?” The cheese wasn’t even melted, yet, and I put the lid back on the pan to turn to Lucy. She wore a little, pale purple dress with capped shoulders, and thin lines of charcoal accentuated her big, blue eyes. Sitting up to stretch her arms along the island, she flipped her curls against her back with a jerk of her head, and I walked over to lean on my forearms on the tiles.
“Ketchup won’t come back inside, and Sriracha won’t leave the doorway because it’s open. I think he likes the breeze.” She smiled as she looked that way, and I reached to caress the back of her hand gingerly. Honestly, I was at a loss, and the silence was only breached by the muted sizzling in the pan behind us. Lucy tangled our fingers between my own, and I clenched my jaw against the stiffness burrowed deep between my shoulder blades. “Do you want to eat out back?”
Those big, blue eyes met mine to brighten in interest, and my mouth dried at how beautiful Lucy is. I couldn’t stop myself- couldn’t even process it as I grabbed her face and kissed her, and her little squeak of surprise clogged my throat. Long, nimble fingers tangled in my hair, and I cupped the back of her head as I shuffled closer. Her soft lips parted for me as heat rampaged through my chest, and a cold sweat broke out under my shirt.
Long legs wrapped around my waist to draw me closer, and my heart fluttered as I snuck my tongue past Lucy’s teeth. Her own touched mine tentatively, but the passion in our kiss blew all hesitancy away. Picking her up off the stool, I pinned her to the wall opposite to brace my forearm above her head. Our kiss deepened as fire boiled my blood, and Lucy moaned softly as she wound her arms around my neck to fist my shirt.
Firm, perky breasts squished against my chest when she ripped her head back to breathe, and I stiffened against the urge to tug her dress down. Panting harshly, my heartbeat furiously, in sync with hers, and Lucy’s flushed face and bright eyes were beyond the comprehension of mortal men. Fuck.
“I have a plan.” My rasp tinged her cheeks a darker shade of pink, and Lucy took a shuddering, unstable breath as her knees tightened against my sides. Resting my forehead on hers, I closed my eyes to savor her breath rolling down my collar. Her closeness was comforting- better even than the knowledge that in a few hours, we’d be even closer. “You’re so beautiful, Lucy.”
“You’re a wonderful man, Mateo.” The mumble wasn’t much more stable than mine, and I pressed against Lucy as her fingers slipped up into my hair. Touching wasn’t close enough, and she gasped faintly to mingle with my hiss as I ground between her legs. My abdomen tightened, thighs quivering, and my cock gorged as the shock of our kiss dwindled. Slender fingers pulled my hair taut, and I sputtered slightly as pleasure gripped my spine in a vice.
“Lucy.” Capturing her thick lips, I shuddered when she moaned, and the sound filled the thin space between my brain and my skull. Her hips rolled, thighs clinging to me and heels digging into the small of my back. Thankfully, they weren’t stabbing stilettoes, just short, wide heels, and I braced both my arms above her head to stop myself from going any farther. My tongue tangled with hers, the taste of her tingling my buds, and she shivered as her hips tilted into mine.
“Mateo. Mateo.” Tugging my head back to rasp hoarsely, Lucy’s eyelids fluttered closed, her lips disappearing between her teeth. My nails dug into my palms with how hard I clenched my fists, and the air knocked from my lungs as the full brunt of her beautiful face slammed into me. She tensed, neck craning, lips parting in a gasp as she arched sharply, and goosebumps blanketed my body.
I watched her brow rumple ever so faintly when she clenched her jaw and stiffened, and Lucy sucked in a whistle of a breath. So delicately, she shivered, and I bit my bottom lip hard when her thighs quivered against my sides. Holding myself very still, my heartbeat furiously as satisfaction sloshed in my chest, and she tilted her head to crack open her eyes.
The only thing holding her up was the iron grip of her legs around me, my hips against hers, and Lucy sighed the most fulfilled sound imaginable. Her whole body relaxed against me, but her knees didn’t fall from my ribs as I reached a trembling hand to her cheek. The tremor in my palm rattled up my arm, and I thumbed under her eye as they flooded with heady warmth. Tilting her head into my touch, she smiled the smallest, most content smile I’d seen on her yet, and my heart threatened to stop beating.
“I’d like to eat outside, yeah.” Lucy’s murmur tickled my wrist, and I nodded mutely as my ragged pants became easier, harsh breaths.
29
Lucy
Giggling as I lifted my wine glass to my lips, I took a small sip, and Mateo smiled broadly. His deep, brown eyes glimmered in the evening sun, a faint breeze rustling his ear-length locks, and I set my glass down to lean my head on his shoulder. Gazing out at the dogs wrestling over a huge rope toy, I practically burst with happiness while he caressed up and down my back.
I didn’t want to drink too much. One glass of wine was more than enough.
“My mom refused to talk to me about sex. There was a point where she refused to talk to me at all.” Scrunching up my nose in disdain, I inhaled deeply, and Mateo grunted softly in acknowledgment. “I haven’t heard from her since we got back. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not.”
“It’s a good thing until it’s not, and then we’ll work through it.” My heart fluttered at Mateo’s murmur, and he squeezed me to his side to sigh softly. Gently, he took
my hand to kiss my fingertips, and my breath hitched when he met my eyes firmly. Suddenly, I felt like I was fourteen again when his other hand cupped the back of my head, and goosebumps washed over my bare arms and down my legs. His face drew closer, and my lids fluttered closed in expectation just before his lips brushed mine.
So unlike our intense, spontaneous make out sessions before in the kitchen, this kiss was slow, tentative, and my fingers flexed to curl around his palm. Mateo’s lips were soft, his clean-shaven chin smooth against mine, and he inched a little closer. His heat slithered along my skin, and delicious shivers raced down my spine. Reaching my free hand to his cheek, I sighed when he pulled back and licked my lips, savoring his taste in the darkness behind my eyelids.
“Let’s go inside.” My mumble tightened his grip on my fingers, and I cracked my eyes open before we stood up. Tingles shot down my legs, and Mateo tangled our fingers together as we left the wine and the empty plates behind on the porch. There wasn’t any furniture in the living room, but I knew he had had something delivered. Urging me up the stairs first, we walked in silence, and my gasp was overly loud above the blood drumming in my ears.
There were little, purple petals on the landing, and I paused as shock stalled my brain. Mateo really went all out for tonight, and he wrapped his arms around me to hold both my hands against my abdomen. Nudging me the last four steps, his breath tickled my neck, and I bit my bottom lip when he smiled against my skin.
The petals stood out on the beige carpet, and I followed them to the last bedroom on the left side of the stairs. Pushing open the door, already slightly ajar, the rose-tinted hue in my vision deepened as my lips parted in admiration. There was a beautiful, four-poster canopy bed in the middle of the room, complete with drapes. Sheer drapes! Soft colors, like cream and more purple and shades of light blue flittered delicately down.
“This is a good plan. I like this plan. It’s gorgeous, Mateo.” Shuffling around me, Mateo downright grinned as my heart grew too full to contain. He hooked his arms under my leg and around my back, and I giggled when he swept me off my feet. Kicking off my heels, I threaded my fingers through his hair as he sauntered toward the bed. “You set all this up for me? I really needed it.”
“I just have great timing, don’t I?” Humming in agreement, I tightened my hold when Mateo’s hands left my back, and he pushed open the sheer curtain. Climbing onto his knees on the bed, he plopped me right in the center. The hue in the air made him glitter, almost, as he gazed down at me, and I reached for him as the ethereality of this moment clung to my ribs like tar.
“Mateo . . . “ Neither he nor I were virgins, but that’s what it felt like— the heat of anxiety, the tentativeness, the intense realization that this is going to change my life. Goosebumps blanketed my skin when Mateo shuffled between my knees, and my heart throbbed with emotion that stung the backs of my eyes. He’d worn slacks and a nice button down, and I was in no rush to take anything off as the coarse fabric caressed my thighs.
“Lucy . . . ” My name was reverence on his tongue, and Mateo kissed me with all of the passion he could muster and none of the urgency of earlier. Moaning softly as pleasure skittered down my jaw and neck, and I raised my arms to get them out of the way. His hard, muscular chest rippled with power, and he dropped to prop his elbows on either side of my head. Slipping his tongue past my teeth to tangle with mine, his taste numbed my senses as pleasure pooled in my abdomen.
Caressing down my sides, Mateo gently fingered the zipper of my dress, and I gasped into his mouth. My breasts spilled out when I sucked in a sharp breath, and goosebumps surged down my chest. His lips lifted from my own to trail down my chin, and I craned my neck in acceptance.
Bright eyes of melted chocolate met mine, and Mateo kissed hot, open-mouthed kisses down the valley between my breasts. The friction of his grinding sent a hard shiver up my spine, and I arched into his mouth with a gasp. His bulge pressed insistently against my core, and his shoulders rippled powerfully under his shirt when he tugged my dress down. Blood drummed in my ears as the soft polyester scraped my skin, and I lifted my butt while he scored my skin with his teeth.
“Oh.” Mateo sucked my nipple into his mouth as he tossed my dress away, and my little gasp squeezed from behind the lump in my throat. Panting softly as pleasure gripped my ribs in a vise, I fisted the sheets above my head to close my eyes. Hard, familiar hands strafed down my abdomen and hips, and I inhaled sharply as my lungs burned, only adding to the barrage.
Tiny shocks skittered along my skin when Mateo hooked his thumbs under the strap of my thong, and I bit down on my bottom lip as wanton thrill surged through my veins. Leaving my breasts lonely, he peeled away my panties to caress my outer thighs and down my legs. My heart pounded hard, flames licking up my neck, and he threw my thong in the direction of my dress before I managed to sit up.
Unfastening the buttons of his shirt, one by one, slowly, I panted lightly, and Mateo cupped my face with both his hands to kiss me. The passion behind his lips was scorching, and I moaned into his mouth as I palmed the defined planes of his chest. Shirking his shoulders when his shirt flapped open, he released my face as I pushed and tugged his shirt off completely. Wrapping his arm around my waist, he hoisted me into his lap, and I gasped as goosebumps swept down my back.
My fingers trembled as I undid the button on his nice jeans, and Mateo thrust as he balanced on his knees. He hadn’t been wearing shoes or socks, and I reached into his pants to palm his hard, hot rod. Prickles rattled up my arm, and he sucked in a sharp breath as his tongue paused its dance against mine. Pumping his cock as he pushed down his pants with his free hand, he groaned into my mouth, and my core clenched tightly.
“Fuck, Lucy.” Shuffling around to get out of his jeans, Mateo’s voice strained as my juices leaked out of me, and I rolled my hips with a moan of my own. Pleasure invaded every cell in my body, and he released me to rifle around his jean pockets. The faint crinkle of the condom wrapper barely rose above the need pounding behind my eyes, and he wrapped his hands around mine to roll the latex down his shaft.
“Make love to me.” Mateo gripped my hips as I flung my arms around his neck, and our kiss deepened. My abdomen throbbed with need, and he pulled back to poise between my seeping folds. Thrusting to coat himself, to ease the friction, my entrance ached with anticipation, and I balanced on the very tips of my knees.
The bulbous head of his cock stretched my entrance, and our kiss paused as the whole world came to a standstill. Even my blood stopped pumping through my veins as Mateo’s tongue stuck to mine, and he thrust into me in one, easy movement. The air knocked from my lungs, and I arched sharply as his nails dug into my flesh. Powerful sinew pulled taut against my breasts, and his heartbeat furiously against my ribs to match my own. Every last drop of strength in him reverberated through me, and I clamped down on his cock as euphoria rampaged through me.
“Lucy . . . ” Murmuring my name into my mouth, Mateo’s hand flew to the back of my head, and he pulled back as the pressure mounted behind my shuttered lids. “Lucy. Lucy.”
His shaft stretched my walls as they undulated wildly, and his mouth ravaged mine as he repeated my name over and over again. Tangling my fingers in his hair, I melted into his chest from the heat, the beautiful friction of his chest grinding against mine. My nipples throbbed, rubbed raw from his light coating of chest hair, and his faint abs flexed against my abdomen when he thrust up. Filling my channel, his cock sent spasms of ecstasy down my thighs, and I moaned softly as I came undone.
The pulsing veins wrapping his cock beneath the latex beat against my walls, and I surrendered to the rapture. Mateo thrust slow and deep, his kiss seating my lips and the fire of us dampening my skin. When I cracked open my eyes, my vision was washed in such gentle, soft colors, and I shivered when our lips parted. Ducking into my neck, Mateo breathed ragged breaths as I struggled even that, and I hugged him tightly. His smell mingled with mine to coat my brain thickly, and his sputtering gasps and
soft, high moans were faint in my ears.
I squeezed my eyes shut as a whimper lodged in my throat, and Mateo tightened his grip on my hips to push them down. His cock throbbed wildly, his sputtering breaths rolling down my shoulder blade and drying the sweat beading down my back.
“Oh, fuck, Lucy!” We were so close in every imaginable way, and I tensed when Mateo groaned my name gutturally. Pleasure roared in my ears, stole my senses, and I trembled wildly as we came together. His hips clung to mine, his muscles bunching up as he stammered breathlessly, and I undulated wildly around his shaft. My ears rang, my head heavy, and I forgot to breathe as I reveled in this beautiful moment.
30
Mateo
“Does it bother you?” Lying face down on the bed, I inhaled a ragged breath through my nose, and Lucy leaned down to press her cheek against my back. Soft palms caressed my scars individually, each one brushed with her thumb, her fingertips smooth. Sitting on my thighs, she laid down to sprawl across my back, and I cracked my eyes open to stare blearily through the curtain. “Lucy?”
“I’m okay. It does bother me.” My chest tightened at the murmur, and she outlined one of the larger scars on my shoulder blade. The thick lines quivered and pulled under her touch, but she was very gentle . . . so, so very gentle. “It bothers me . . . because . . . I remember waking up in that room, and you were pretty much like ‘whatever, this is fine’, like that comic meme where the room’s on fire and the dog’s just like . . . ”
She made the meme face against my back. I felt her cheeks puff out slightly, and Lucy sighed as a chuckle clogged my throat.