Ready to Trust Page 2

  When he stopped and wiped his mouth, the absence of his tongue left her in an exquisite sort of pain. She was no longer afraid. The need was too strong. Her base instinct had been triggered, and she had to have him, had to feel the fullness of him in her, no matter what the cost. Her body wouldn’t be denied.

  Gabe crept back up to the position he started in, on his side, but this time, it was he who took hold of his cock. Shay turned to her side, too, and frantically kissed his shoulders, then his chest, then took his nipples into her mouth and bit down with hunger. His breath hitched in his throat. He brushed his hand against her wet cunt and transferred the liquid to his cock, coating it with the lube.

  Now it was his turn to shake. With a trembling grip, he took her leg and hoisted it over his waist. Pulling her closer, he kissed her lips and sucked on her tongue. As soon as the tip of his cock touched her clit, she thrust her hips so that it slid down to her opening. There he penetrated, only an inch, letting her pussy adjust to the fullness of his domed head. Her body greedily wanted more, and she started to pull herself closer.

  “Shay,” he groaned.

  “Baby, come inside me. I’m ready.”

  All traces of the girl she’d been had vanished. Her voice was full of womanly desire. Their eyes met, and he breathed shallowly, as if in attempt to hold his breath. Letting out a long sigh, he pushed in another inch.

  It hurt then, just a little, and he must have sensed it because he immediately pulled back out. The throbbing ache returned in the absence of feeling his thickness inside of her. Shay gathered her wits and placed her hand on his cheek.

  “I’m okay,” she said. “I promise.”

  He nodded and moved to enter her once more. She did the work for him, adjusting her hips so that he glided in halfway, the full girth of him spreading her so wide she felt she’d burst. But the pinpricks of pain soon melted away into yearning. Feeling his thickness was no longer enough. She needed movement, the friction her body already knew how to want.

  With cautiousness, he took hold of her ass and pulled her closer, angling her pelvis just right, until he was in to the hilt. Sliding out, he pressed his forehead, damp with perspiration, against hers, and he gave her faint, butterfly kisses as he penetrated her fully once more.

  Yes, this was what she needed. The deep, erotic massage. Oh, yes, this was what she’d been waiting for.

  Gabe’s body undulated beside hers, the deep, physical point of their connection growing hotter and wetter with each thrust. His hand tightened on her buttocks then loosened as he entered her again and again.

  She started to grow weightless, the mounting climactic sensation building at her core with volcanic strength. Her toes curled, and she ran her fingers through his hair. Breathing through her open mouth, she couldn’t control her cries of ecstasy that grew louder by the second. Remaining deep inside, grinding against her clit, Gabe at last brought her to a fiercely strong release.

  There was no word, no sound she could emit, to match the feeling that flooded over her mind, body, and soul. So she came in sweet, sensual silence. Her cunt tightened around his cock, holding it in the most intimate of embraces.

  He gave her a moment to ride out the ecstasy, and then he got on top.

  With every plunge, pulling out to the tip and diving back in, his moans intensified. He was like a helpless beast, trapped in the single act he’d held himself back from doing. He’d fought this, his very nature, in order to please her, to wait for the right time, to allow her the freedom to stay pure. But now, the animal had been released, and he took her, selfishly, his hips wildly pumping to an erratic rhythm only he could truly feel.

  She spread her legs for him, although her newly initiated cunt was beginning to grow a little sore. It didn’t take him long to finish. He twitched all over as his hot seed flowed into her, a piece of him given back in exchange for taking her special gift. After catching his breath, he pulled out, his cock already growing flaccid. Shay didn’t pay much mind to the pink color on the sheets, the spot barely even visible in the dim light of the hotel room.

  Gabe collapsed next to her and nuzzled against her breasts, almost like a child. So peaceful, she thought. Her body felt heavy, sleep threatening to overtake her.

  “I want this moment to last forever,” she said, her voice drowsy, sated.

  “It can,” he muttered, sleepiness evident in his tone as well. “It will.”

  “I want to do it again. I never thought it’d be so wonderful.”

  “It was, wasn’t it? And there’s so much more where that came from, my sweet wife.”

  His hand rested over her heart, and Shay imagined him holding it, holding her, for the rest of their lives. It was her last thought as she drifted off into a tranquil sleep.

  One Stormy Night

  By Scarlett Knight

  The rain poured in buckets, clattering against the top of the bus. Standing at the open door of the vehicle, Michelle grabbed Jeff’s hand and looked back at him with a grin.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  “Let’s do this,” he said with a resigned smile.

  She climbed down the steps, her fingers still interlocked with Jeff’s. As soon as the cold sheets of moisture pounded down upon them, she hollered out, half a scream, half a laugh. Jeff shouted a curse then chuckled as they ran up the sidewalk to the welcoming doors of her apartment complex.

  After frantically punching in the code that unlocked the door, Michelle pushed open the barrier and let them both inside. The old complex foyer was dimly lit on a normal day, but with the storm, it was barely light enough to see. The brass electric lamps on the wall flickered as a combination of lightning and immediate thunder shook windows of the building.

  Michelle shook her curly mane of auburn hair, and it seemed as if an entire river of water came out of it. Her charcoal eyeliner was surely smudged, but oddly enough, she didn’t feel self-conscious around Jeff. He’d seen her in various states of dress, from casual workout clothes when they’d gone for a walk in the park last month, to a nice gown when he’d taken her to that fancy Italian place a couple weeks ago. Tonight she was in her favorite type of artsy décor: a funky black skirt with purple tights, thigh-high boots, and a rose red swoop-neck sweater. It was the kind of outfit her mother would chastise her for, saying it was fit more for a teenager than a 30-year-old woman, but those kinds of comments always made Michelle want to rebel all the more. She took off her duster jacket, and Jeff immediately reached out to carry it.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’m so sorry.” She reached up to wipe some of the water off the shoulders of Jeff’s leather jacket with her scarf. “I should’ve brought an umbrella. Or I should’ve suggested we go out another night.”

  “It’s not your fault,” said Jeff. “I knew it was going to rain, too. Makes it more interesting.” He wiggled his eyebrows in that disarming way that made her feel happy inside. “Besides, you look kinda cute all wet.”

  He set her jacket on the arm of a nearby chair and then removed his coat to give it a good shake, the excess moisture flying through the entry hall. After picking up her jacket again, he slung both coats over his arm. Droplets of rain fell down the side of his darkly tanned, angular face. His almond-shaped earthy brown eyes met hers, and despite the cold of the storm, she felt a sudden heat rising up her body.

  She looked away. This had been her tenth date with Jeff. And though they’d only known one another for a couple of months, she’d written in depth in her diary that it seemed as if she’d known him for years. She hadn’t had this much luck with Internet dating since college, and she’d all but given up. But when he’d sent her a message, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he might be worth pursuing.

  “Come on up,” she said, her heart wildly beating. “I’ll get you a towel.”

  “Okay.”

  The deep, gent
le tone of his voice held a little expectation; there was no mistaking it. Sure, she could just make him wait in the lobby for the rain to stop. She didn’t have to invite him up. If it wasn’t time yet for “the talk,” she could continue to be patient until that moment came.

  But truth be told, she didn’t want to wait anymore. If he was willing, she was ready - ready to tell him her secret, ready to offer her most precious gift to him. Tonight she would tell him what scared off so many guys, and she’d find out if he still wanted to keep seeing her.

  He was standing so close, his shoulders seeming much wider than usual. His black long-sleeve shirt was splotchy with bits of rain. He wasn’t much taller than she was, and up until now he never seemed the least bit imposing. But tonight she felt a touch of new intimidation.

  There was no denying that this man was serious about her. Unlike all of the other men she’d dated, Jeff was willing and happy to do things she wanted to do, to let her suggest the restaurants and activities in addition to his ideas. In short, it wasn’t all about him. With her other prospects, she’d always do what they wanted to do, even if it included her sitting at a bar for hours, bored out of her mind, as they yelled at the sports game on the TV and got shitfaced. No, Jeff actually talked to her, wanted to know more about her with every date. He always made sure she was enjoying herself.

  With some effort, she broke away from his gaze. As she pulled her wet, black fingerless gloves off, she began walking toward the entrance to the stairwell. The trip up to her apartment on the third floor was a blur. Fearful of rejection, Michelle tried to focus on Jeff’s good attributes and trust that he wouldn’t bolt out the door after she talked to him. Her hands shook as she fished her keys out of her purse and then flipped through them to find the correct one.

  “Are you okay?” Jeff’s soft voice tickled her neck.

  She took a quiet breath, held it, and relaxed as she let it out. “Yeah, I’m okay.” She twisted the key in the lock and turned to him. “I was wondering if, I, uh, could talk to you about something.”

  He blinked but held his kind eyes on hers. “All right. Shoot.”

  “Um, not here. Inside. It can wait a second.”

  Before his curious expression enticed her to blurt it out right then and there, she opened the door. She reached over to flip on the overhead light, but a bright flash of lightning lit up the apartment from the living room window, making her jump. An immediate clap of thunder followed, and when she tried the light switch, it didn’t work.

  “I think we just lost electricity,” she said.

  “Hmm, quite an adventure. I’m always down for adventure.”

  “I hope so.”

  Lucky for both of them, Michelle was a lover of candles. She quickly lit half a dozen of them, which were scattered through the living room and kitchen. Her apartment was an eclectic mix of design, just like she was. Beaded throw pillows decorated wooden chairs, a clay pot sat atop a glass coffee table, and colorful rugs adorned the floor.

  After lighting two more candles in the bathroom, Michelle retrieved a couple of plush bath towels and gave one to Jeff. “Here, let me take the jackets. I’ll hang them up.”

  “Okay.” He handed them over, still eying her with a good measure of curiosity.

  She wished there were a hundred little menial tasks she could do to delay what she’d already started, but there weren’t. After finding two hangers that weren’t in use, she hung the jackets on the front door and let them drip the rest of their excess moisture onto the tiles.

  When she returned to the living room, Jeff was patiently waiting on the loveseat with his arms outstretched on top of the couch cushions. He’d draped his towel over his knee, which bobbed up and down as he tapped his foot. It was a nervous gesture she’d seen him do before.

  “This isn’t bad, I promise,” she said.

  “I didn’t say it was.” But his foot slowed its tapping. “You’re not about to break my heart, are you? Because if you don’t want to see me anymore, I might have to persuade you otherwise.”

  “I - well, let me explain.”

  After quickly debating whether or not to sit next to him on the loveseat and sink into his arms, she instead took a seat on the wicker chair across from the couch. It wasn’t that they had never touched. They’d kissed, and passionately. But she needed a little space to say what she was about to say.

  “I have a question for you,” she said.

  “And I hope I have an answer.”

  The sound of the rain dancing against the windows distracted her into a memory trip. She picked at her fingernails, which was something she always did when she was trying to mentally escape a situation. Once she realized what she was doing, she quickly made herself stop and then met Jeff’s ever-patient gaze.

  “Take your time,” he said.

  She sat up straighter. “I know you’ve been in a few relationships. And that’s fine. I’ve sort of been. I mean, that is to say, I’ve dated. Some. And most people have been with a lot of other people when they reach their thirties. I guess what I’m trying to say is, how would you feel if I told you I haven’t really been with anyone?”

  “Been with, as in a long-term relationship?”

  “No. Been with as in sex.”

  He lifted his eyebrows. “Oh... I see.”

  She waited, the moment lasting an eternity of torment, her heart raging in her ears, her hands clasped together so tightly they lost circulation. He was going to walk out now, wasn’t he? He was going to think she was a freak and then -

  “And what’s the problem with that?” he asked.

  Michelle gulped, her mouth dry. “You - you don’t have a problem with it?”

  “Of course I don’t.” He moved his arms from the back of the couch and leaned forward. “I thought that you didn’t want to be with me for some reason. Shit!” The dimples in his cheeks deepened. “That’s it? You’re a virgin? Michelle, I think that’s fantastic.”

  “So you’re not freaked out?”

  “No, sweetie. How could I be? Since we met, you and I were immediately friends. You know you’re more to me than a quick fuck, or you should know, because though I’ve wanted to, I’ve let you set the pace. This is kind of a nice surprise. Is there any reason why you’ve waited? I know you’re not really religious.”

  “Right.” She let her gaze fall to his lips, which she wanted to kiss so badly now, but there was more to be told. “Well, long story short, there was this guy in high school. A real player. I had the hots for him something fierce. I wound up in his room one night when his parents were out of town, and not only did he try to stick it in me after like a minute of bad kissing, he also had a picture of his girlfriend on the shelf. She was staring right at us in the dark, for heaven’s sake.”

  Jeff winced and let out a little chuckle. “Damn. Not good.”

  “I guess he assumed I was like the other girls he knew, and he figured I wanted him, regardless. Well, I was totally inexperienced, and he wasn’t gentle, so it hurt. And he didn’t have protection. I got scared for about a million reasons. The whole thing was wrong. After I made him stop, he got this horrible attitude. It was so late at night. I was so tired and confused. And get this: the next day at school, he acted as if I didn’t even exist. It took everything I had in me not to tell his girlfriend what a jerk he really was.”

  “Hmm.” Jeff’s body was so still, like a wildcat waiting for the pounce. “Yeah, I kinda want to punch this guy in the face. You don’t know where he lives now, do you?”

  Her heart fluttered, secretly thrilled by his jealousy. “No. He broke up with the girl, and his life pretty much went downhill after high school. Karma’s a bitch.” She took another deep breath. “And I guess that brings me to the next point. Ever since the experience with him, I’ve been super careful, maybe too careful, about guys I let even kiss me. At fir
st it was because of that bad experience. I was still scared because I didn’t want to be used or hurt, so my body wouldn’t relax. I eventually made myself get over that.”

  “I would hope so.” Jeff licked his lips, his protective vibe melting into a more seductive aura. “You’ve felt pretty relaxed during our little make-out sessions.”

  She cracked a side grin. “You are a pretty good kisser.”

  “I try.”

  “You succeed.” She looked down at her feet, her auburn hair falling down the sides of her face, shielding her. “So, after time, I found myself in my mid-twenties, still a virgin. Then late twenties. And now thirty. Every year it gets a little harder to try and explain to people, and it gets a little more important to me that I do it with the right person. The men I’ve met in recent years just haven’t been who I wanted to give it to...until now.”

  His breath caught in his throat, a barely-audible hitch that stirred Michelle’s heart. Slowly he nodded his head. His eyes had a fresh gleam in them. They really saw her, the real her. Though she sat fully clothed, she felt utterly naked under that stare. Jeff slowly scooted to the edge of the love seat. The coffee table that divided them seemed like such a huge obstacle, one Michelle was grateful for and at the same time annoyed with.

  “Me?” he whispered.

  She brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear, the shield lifted. “You.”

  He opened his mouth to speak but then hesitated.

  “What?” Michelle could barely breathe. “What’s wrong?”

  He bit his lower lip, and the simple gesture, cast in the shadowy light of the candles, turned her on. The butterflies in her stomach beat their excited wings, and she felt flutters down lower; the excitement of the moment sending her through waves of fear and desire.

  “Please talk to me,” she said.