Keeping Time

by Jamie Craig

  Claire snorted. “You’re not old. I don’t know anybody who takes care of themselves the way you do. But honestly, Ana, I’m not seeing the problem here. How many times have we bitched about it being so hard to find a decent man these days? Either they’re married, or they’re gay, or they’re so burned on relationships that they only want to date eighteen-year-olds who think age brings wisdom and a fat wallet. If this guy likes you—and he’s doing your gardening so somehow I think the answer to that is yes—run with it. Enjoy it. And, frankly, stop worrying. Do you know how many women would kill to be in your shoes right now?”

  Ana knew Claire was right. Ben did like her a lot, he wasn’t married, or gay, or burned out, or a jerk. But Ana had hoped this week would help work him out of her system. So far, it was just showing her how much she enjoyed having him around.

  She smiled. “Especially if they knew how little time I spend in my shoes, or on my feet, when I’m with him.”

  “Oh, sure, rub it in.” Her eyes turned back to Ben, who had stood to stretch his back. The sun made the sweat outlining his muscles glisten, and his sweats were hanging low enough so that the line of his hipbone was just visible. “Damn. I need to listen to more music.”

  “Not to sound rude,” Ana murmured, unable to look away from Ben, “but why don’t you go start listening to more music now?”

  Though Claire grumbled good-naturedly, she rose to her feet, holding Shasta in her arms. “Make him do the back yard tomorrow,” she said as she walked away. “I’ve got a perfect view from my bedroom then.”

  Ana let her go with a promise she’d send Ben out to the back yard, and then pushed herself to her feet. She crossed the lawn, unable to keep her hands to herself. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his slick back. “Why don’t we get you all cleaned up and then all sweaty again?”

  He grinned at her over his shoulder, peeling the gloves off and tossing them aside. “Evil plans work better if you don’t make it obvious that it was a plan all along, you know.”

  “I don’t know. This evil plan seems to be working out pretty good. I’ve got a hot, sexy, sweaty boy in my yard, and in a few minutes, I’ll have him in my shower.”

  Ben took one of her hands and lifted it to his mouth. “And how do you know it wasn’t my plan all along to get dirty enough to entice you into the shower with me?” He swirled his tongue around her index finger before licking a path down to her palm. “Did your friend enjoy the show?”

  Ana swallowed hard. As soon as he touched her with his tongue, she immediately thought of all the ways he could, and did, use his tongue on her. “She was very impressed. She’s hoping for an encore performance tomorrow.”

  “Considering the size of your yard, I’m thinking that might be a safe bet.” With one last kiss to her inner wrist, he entwined their fingers and bent to pick up the T-shirt he had long ago discarded. “Come on. I’m feeling especially dirty right now.”

  Ana led him into the house and through the bedroom to the master bath. She turned the water on first, allowing it to warm while she pushed Ben’s pants and underwear off his hips. She had to pause once he was naked, like she always did, so she could look at him, commit every single detail to memory. He looked…vibrant, like some young god. She couldn’t deny she was attracted to his youth, even if outside the bedroom, she couldn’t reconcile herself to the age difference. Unable to resist, she leaned forward, her tongue sneaking out to catch a drop of sweat at the hollow of his throat.

  His head tilted back, his hands coming up to grip her arms. “We won’t make it into the shower if you keep that up,” he warned.

  “Don’t want that to happen,” Ana murmured, stepping back to peel the T-shirt from her body. He reached for her, his fingers catching in the hem of her shorts. He pulled them down her legs slowly while she unsnapped her bra. Her lips tingled for more contact. She wanted to taste every inch of his salty skin, but she didn’t allow herself to kiss him again until they were both under the shower’s hot spray.

  It was easy to figure out what kind of mood Ben was in by the way he kissed. His kisses the night before when he had first arrived had been slow and exploratory, indicative of his continued surprise that she’d agreed to this arrangement. He’d kissed then like he didn’t want to shatter a spell, and it wasn’t until they had moved things into her bedroom that things had grown fiercer. His kisses at The Ledge had been hungry, proof of their weeks of foreplay.

  Now they were determined. Sure. These were the kisses of a man who knew exactly what he wanted and was going to get it, if he had to kiss her breathless to do so.

  Ben pressed her to the wall, the tile cold at her back. His cock was swelling against her thigh, and his hands roamed freely over her breasts, cupping and caressing as his tongue swept through her mouth. He was panting when he finally broke free, and his eyes burned where they met hers.

  “I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop,” he murmured. Water dripping from his hair highlighted the sharp angles of his face. “You’re not going to throw it at me if it happens, are you?”

  “No,” she said automatically, reaching between their bodies to run her palm across his shaft. Ana knew she couldn’t kiss him long enough or hard enough to chase away the shadow lurking in the back of her mind. She hoped he couldn’t see it in her eyes. Ana looked away from his intense gaze and began to lick the drops of water from his jaw, closing her eyes against the hard spray hitting her over his shoulder.

  Shuddering, Ben shifted their position to protect her from the pelting water, his hand closing around hers to still the slow rubbing along his cock. “You are bound and determined to get me off before I get to touch you,” he teased.

  He wasn’t far off from the truth. She loved the effect her hands, her mouth, her body had on him. “While I was watching you work, all I could think about was touching you. Like this.” She squeezed his shaft, but didn’t pull her hand away from his. She moved her mouth down his chest to his nipple, sucking it between her teeth, biting gently. He moaned, but his hand was still tight on hers, keeping her from stroking him again. She cupped his balls with her other hand, stretching her fingers to rub the sensitive skin behind his sac.

  He might have voiced a protest, but it didn’t stop Ben from widening his legs, allowing Ana more room to explore. “I’m going to make you do the same for me, you know. A couple of hours of uninterrupted ogling of that gorgeous ass of yours and you’ll probably be able to get me to do anything you want then.”

  Ana lifted her head long enough to smile at him. “I’ve got a pair of short shorts and a halter top you might enjoy, then.”

  She lowered herself to her knees, her hand still on his shaft, her other hand moving further between his thighs. The tip of her middle finger traced his hole, but she just teased the muscle. Ana dipped her head, her tongue lapping at the drops of water rolling off the head of his cock.

  His hand finally abandoned hers, and Ben leaned forward to brace against the wall of the shower. Each time she caught another bead of moisture, his breath hitched, audible even under the spray. As difficult as it could be dealing with the age difference in the light of day, Ana knew she couldn’t deny that his physical response to her was very real. He meant every word he said when he announced his desire. His body betrayed it every single time she touched him.

  She had seen the jealousy in Claire’s eyes while they talked, and as she chased a drop down his shaft, she couldn’t deny the surge of satisfaction, of pleasure, at being with him. How many girls and women would happily trade places with her? Especially as she closed her mouth around his velvety head and guided his cock deeper into her mouth. Her finger never left his ass, but she didn’t do anything but caress him either.

  “I had this dream once, before we started talking on the phone…” His voice was subdued, and when she glanced up, Ana saw that his eyes were closed, his brow slightly furrowed like he was concentrating to keep himself under control. “I was chained to a wall in a dungeon, kind of
like how we used to joke about. And I was blindfolded so that I couldn’t see you when you walked in.” He chuckled, though it strangled in his throat as she sucked his shaft back into her mouth. “It was probably because I still didn’t know what you looked like exactly, but hey, it worked for the dream. But you didn’t do anything except touch me, and before I could get you to say a word, you were on your knees. Pretty much like you are now. That was the first wet dream I’ve had since I was in high school.”

  She didn’t know why, but every time Ben mentioned anything like that—fantasies, or wet dreams, or jerking off—it sent a hot wave of pleasure through her. Ana hadn’t had the chance yet, but she wanted to watch him once. Just the thought of his lean body stretched out on the bed, his cock gripped loosely in his long fingers, his eyes closed, was enough to make her lower stomach clench.

  Ana took a deep breath through her nose and slid her lips down his shaft until the hair at the base of his cock tickled her lips. She held him there for a moment, letting him fill her throat. His cock jerked and twitched against her tongue and the roof of her mouth, and she could feel the tension in his thighs. Ana pulled away from him, letting his cock fall from her lips.

  “I hope I live up to expectations,” she murmured, before winding her tongue around his crown.

  His eyes opened then, and a drop of water that had collected on his lashes fell to land on her chin. “You’ve gone so far past them already, I don’t even remember them anymore,” he murmured.

  Ana only smiled before relaxing her jaw and swallowing him once again. Once she became accustomed to his size in her throat, she began to move faster. She gripped his hip with one hand, gently encouraging him to thrust his hips and fuck her mouth. As his body moved back, she finally pushed her finger past his tight muscle, curving it to seek out his prostate.

  His entire body tensed, and his hand came down on the back of her head to pull her the rest of the way off his cock. “Fuck, Ana…” His eyes were wide, confusion and desire warring in their depths. “Nobody’s ever…”

  It hadn’t occurred to her that the move would startle or confuse him, but she supposed it made sense. His past girlfriends probably hadn’t been very experienced or experimental in bed.

  “It’s just your prostate.” She brushed her finger against it again. “Is it uncomfortable?”

  His lashes fluttered as a groan escaped him. “God, no. And I know what…” Ben swallowed. “It’s just that nobody’s ever done that to me before.”

  “I’ll stop if you want,” she offered, but he shook his head immediately. “You’ll have to tell me some other things you’ve never experienced sometime.”

  Ana brought his cock back to her mouth before he could respond. She began moving her finger in short, rhythmic strokes as she eased his shaft down her throat. Within seconds, she was moving in a quick tempo again. It occurred to her he might enjoy it if she used a second finger, but she decided she’d save that for later. For now, she just wanted him to be comfortable.

  His hand stayed on her head, fingers tightening the faster she went. The litany of encouragement poured from his lips, the words growing hoarse as his body took over. Muscles trembled, clenched. Goose bumps erupted along his skin. Somewhere along the way, Ben leaned against the wall again, this time resting a forearm on the tile.

  He came when her nail scraped across his prostate, hips jerking as his shouts reverberated throughout the shower. His warm come filled her throat, and Ana pulled back enough to catch some on her tongue, her mouth watering for the taste of it. Her moan lasted almost as long as his. It took the caress of his knuckles across her cheek to break the spell.

  His eyes were nearly black as he pulled her to her feet, and the lips that sought out hers quivered from the force of his orgasm. “Don’t you dare ever doubt what you do to me,” he murmured against her mouth.

  Ana shook her head. How could she doubt it? She had never been with anybody who was so enthusiastic and unapologetic about his desire and pleasure. Ana slid her mouth from his lips, still greedy for the vaguely salty taste of his skin. Ben mirrored the tilt of her head to sample her neck, skimming his hands down her body at the same time. He went over her flat stomach and along the top of her thighs, fingertips gliding over the damp skin, until she was quivering in anticipation of him exploring further. She didn’t expect him to step back, though. But she didn’t argue when he suddenly grasped her hips and whirled her around, pinning her to the wall with his long body.

  “You’re not disappointed, are you?” His mouth was at her ear, but when she tried to turn back and look at him, Ben refused her the clearance. “Don’t. Just tell me this hasn’t completely fucked how you think of me.”

  “No, of course not,” Ana said quickly. “But I don’t know why you’d think I’d be disappointed.”

  “Because you already thought I’m too young for you. And we talked about so much. I just…I guess I’m worried you’ll use inexperience as another excuse to not see me.”

  Ana rested her head against the tile. She wanted to turn to face him, but he wasn’t going to let her move. “Ben, I don’t care about how experienced you are. Sexual experience is not…it’s not something I consider when I’m with someone. And you do really, really, really well with what you’ve got.” She pushed back, grinding her ass against his soft cock.

  “I think it’s you.” Ben brushed his lips below her ear, the tip of his tongue darting out to taste her damp skin. “No woman has ever gotten to me the way you do, Ana.”

  The shower was full of steam, the water still hot, but as soon as he touched her with his tongue, she shivered. “Then I think we’re even, because I can’t remember the last time somebody got to me like you.”

  His cock was already hardening against her ass. “Do you know how many times I jerked off in the shower thinking about this?” he murmured. Capturing her wrists in a single hand, he twisted her arms over her head. “That night when we were e-mailing? I couldn’t get your favorite position out of my head. I’ve been waiting for the chance to do this right for weeks now.”

  Ana’s muscles clenched, and she pushed back against him, widening her legs. He held her wrists tightly, and she could sense strength. Ana knew if Ben didn’t want her to move, she wouldn’t be going anywhere. She didn’t know why, but that thought sent a sharp jolt to her clit.

  She naturally opened her mouth to remind him to grab a condom, but snapped her jaw closed. They didn’t need to worry about that—she was on the pill, and they were both clean. The tip of his cock slipped through her lips, his skin hot from the water. Her toes and fingers curled in anticipation, but he seemed happy to slide against her, rocking his hips forward and back to build the friction.

  “I’ve been waiting, too,” she said breathlessly, hoping that would encourage him to stop teasing her.

  His rhythm didn’t falter. “That must mean you want it pretty badly right about now.”

  Ana could only nod as the hot water rolled down her face, stinging her eyes and resting on her lips. Experimentally, she tried to pull away from him, but his grip tightened like she expected it would.

  “Now why would you want to get away from this?” His voice sounded like it was inside her head, so close and so deep that it heated her flesh more than the water. Ben reached around her hip to cup her mound, deliberately avoiding contact with her clit. “I want you, Ana. I’m not letting you go anywhere now that I have you.”

  “Ben…” She knew what he wanted her to say, and she knew what she should say, but she couldn’t find her voice for either option. “I don’t want to…I don’t want you to let me go…”

  “Remember that. Because I’m not going to forget you said that, Ana.”

  Before there was a chance for her to rebut, Ben pulled back, shifting his angle only slightly before pushing forward again. He entered her in a slow, deliberate stroke, the weight of his long cock resting against her front wall and scraping across her G-spot so that she was shivering by the time he was fully seated. O
nly then did he touch her clit, caressing it softly as his mouth returned to her ear.

  “Well?” he prompted.

  Ana whimpered, forced to rely on him to keep her on her feet. Her legs were watery and her head spinning. What could she say to him? That it was better than she hoped? Better than she anticipated? Because it was. He pulled out of her slowly, each inch as heady and maddening as when he thrust into her. Then he was completely inside her again, and the pressure on her clit increased.

  “God…Ben…so good.” She gulped. “You feel so good.”

  He kept his strokes even, each one as smooth as the one previous, each one as deep as the first. His mouth moved from her ear to her neck, sucking at the sinew with the occasional bite that sent tremors down her spine. It didn’t take long for her muscles to begin to burn from being trapped so long in one position, but Ana refused to abandon it, focusing on the coiling inside her gut, the fire licking its way to her pussy. When Ben sped up, so did her pants for air, until she was convinced her lungs were never going to work properly again.

  His body hitched behind hers as Ben lifted his head.

  “Oh, God, Ana…” he rasped. The pressure on her clit grew unbearable, his thrusts forceful. She barely heard him shouting her name over the roaring of her blood, the splash of the water against the tile. His cock jerked inside her, his arm clamping her tightly to him as they both rode out their orgasms.

  Ana dropped her head back to his shoulder, and Ben immediately sought out her mouth and loosened his grip on her wrists. She spun in his arm, and the tile was now warm against her back as she explored his mouth.

  “How do you do that?” she murmured, once her burning lungs forced her to break away for air.

  His smile was lazy and content. “Do what?”

  “Make it feel like I’ve never done any of this before.”